Biology/Immunology Of Corneal Epithelial Stem Cells

目前正在进行两项动物方案（一只兔子和一只小鼠）。兔研究的重点是了解和预防移植角膜缘干细胞的免疫排斥反应，使用供体组织操作和局部免疫抑制，包括缓释植入物。目前正在进行的研究涉及使用培养的角膜上皮细胞治疗干细胞缺乏症的组织工程。这些后面的研究将可能为未来使用培养的角膜上皮细胞的临床研究提供基础。 小鼠研究将集中在角膜缘干细胞生物学和免疫学利用各种转基因品系。研究还将试图确定移植的角膜缘干细胞的长期存活和使用小鼠抗IL 2受体抗体的全身免疫抑制的效果。角膜缘干细胞在不同发育阶段的可塑性也将被研究。利用基因表达研究，将尝试确定对保持“干性”很重要的因素。这个项目最近开始，没有数据可以报告

Currently two animal protocols (one rabbit and one mouse) are ongoing. The focus of the rabbit studies is to understand and prevent immunologic rejection of the transplanted limbal stem cells using donor tissue manipulation and local immunosuppression including sustained release implants. Studies currently in progress involve tissue engineering using cultured corneal epithelial cells for the treatment stem cell deficiency. These latter studies will likely provide the basis for future clinical studies using cultured corneal epithelial cells. The mouse studies will be focused on limbal stem cell biology and immunlogy taking advantage of various transgenic strains. Studies will also attempt to determine the long-term survival of transplantated limbal stem cells and the effect of systemic immunosuppression using mouse anti-IL2 receptor antibody. The plasticity of limbal stem cells in various stages of development will also be studied. Using gene expression studies, attempts will be made to determine the factors that are important for maintaining "stemness".This project began recently and there is no data to report