Corneal Epithelial-Like Transdifferentiation of Hair Follicle Stem Cells Is Mediated by PAX6 and β-Catenin/LEF-1

The study demonstrated that hair follicle bulge keratinocyte stem cells (KSCs) could transdifferentiate into corneal epithelial-like cells, highlighting their potential for therapeutic applications in bioengineered corneas. The transdifferentiation process was mediated by the upregulation of pax6 and the downregulation of β-catenin and Lef-1. Bulge KSCs isolated by collagen type IV adhesiveness showed high colony formation efficiency and expressed specific markers such as CD34 and α6-integrin. In a conditioned medium with corneal limbus soluble factors, these cells expressed keratin12, a marker of corneal epithelial cells. Overexpression of pax6 in these cells induced keratin12 expression, suggesting a pivotal role of pax6 in this transdifferentiation process.