The Influence of Capsule Composition on Lens Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：晶状体囊是围绕晶状体的增厚基底膜，为晶状体细胞提供必要的结构支撑，并介导晶状体与眼睛其余部分之间的连接。晶状体囊成分也作为附着的晶状体细胞的存活、增殖和分化信号，尽管晶状体囊中发现的每种细胞外基质蛋白对晶状体细胞行为的相对贡献大多未被表征。整合素是介导细胞与细胞外基质之间通讯的主要分子。在先前的资助周期中，我们发现各种整合素在晶状体发育和后囊膜混浊（PCO）的发病机制中起重要作用，后囊膜混浊是白内障手术摘除的主要副作用。然而，整合素控制晶状体发育的机制和PCO的发病机制尚不清楚。该应用程序旨在研究整合素控制晶状体上皮细胞转移的命运决定的分子机制

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The lens capsule is a thickened basement membrane surrounding the lens which provides essential structural support for lens cells and mediates connection between the lens and the remainder of the eye. Lens capsule components also serve as survival, proliferation and differentiation signals for the attached lens cells although te relative contribution of each extracellular matrix protein found in the lens capsule to lens cell behavior is mostly uncharacterized. Integrins are major molecules mediating the communication between cells and their extracellular matrix. During the prior grant cycle we discovered that various integrins play essential roles in lens development as well as the pathogenesis of posterior capsular opacification (PCO), the major side effect of surgical cataract removal. However, the mechanisms by which integrins control lens development and the pathogenesis of PCO is not well understood. This application proposes to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which integrins control the fate decisions which regulate transitions from lens epithelial cells to fiber cells during development and "pearl type" PCO as well as transitions between epithelial cells and myofibroblasts during the process of fibrotic PCO development. These studies include investigations into the molecular function of fibronectin, an integrin ligand known to upregulate during PCO, in the pathogenesis of this condition. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The lens capsule is an understudied, but crucial regulator of lens biology. This application seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying its fundamental role in both the regulation of normal lens biology and the conversion of lens epithelial cells to myofibroblasts, a main component of scar tissue. This work will provide fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of after-cataract (posterior capsular opacification), the major side effect of cataract surgery. This will allow us to identify additional molecular targets to prevent this condition which could result in better final visual outcomes for patients.