Work

Substrate engineering using naturally biomimicking corneal cell topography for preserving stemness of corneal limbal epithelial-stem cells.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives: Substrate engineering is one of the attractive fields of changing cell behavior and fate, especially for stem cell (SC) therapies. The SC pool is an essential factor in transplantation outcomes. Here, the objective was to preserve the stemness of the cornea's limbal epithelial stem cell (LESC) using naturally biomimicking corneal cell topography. Materials and Methods: . Results: studies showed a more significant number of cells and the expression of the ABCG2 gene in the imprinted PDMS group. In contrast, higher expressions of the ∆Np63 gene and more stratification were observed in the control group (no treatment). Histological studies showed that the imprinted PDMS group had normal morphology with fully organized collagens. Conclusion: The results of LESC cultured on imprinted PDMS suggested that LESC cell imprinting could be an excellent substrate for LESC expansion and preserve their stemness for cell therapy.

Source: PubMed

DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2025.86110.18601