Bi-Compartmentalized Stem Cell Organization of the Corneal Limbal Niche

    June 2020 in “ bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) ”
    Olivia Farrelly, Y Horiuchi, Megan Brewster, Paola Kuri, Sixia Huang, Gabriella Rice, Jianming Xu, Tzvete Dentchev, Vivian Lee, Panteleimon Rompolas
    Studysummary This study demonstrates that in vivo live imaging reveals how distinct stem cell activities in the limbal niche coordinate corneal regeneration.
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    The study investigated the organization of stem cells in the corneal limbal niche using 2-photon microscopy to visualize live tissue and track single stem cell activity. It identified previously unknown niche compartments, revealing that slow-cycling cells in the outer limbus form separate lineages with local clonal dynamics. In contrast, distinct stem cells in the pericorneal limbus were found to be essential for corneal regeneration. These stem cells' progeny exited the niche and moved centripetally in unison before terminal differentiation. The research demonstrated how compartmentalized stem cell organization coordinates tissue regeneration in the cornea.
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