August 2009 in “Mechanisms of Development” Adult hair follicle cells can create new hair follicles from corneal cells with the right support.
162 citations
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December 2008 in “Stem Cells” This study found that murine vibrissa hair follicle stem cells can be differentiated into corneal epithelial-like cells in vitro using limbus-specific microenvironmental factors, suggesting a potential therapeutic source for ocular surface disorders.
130 citations
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February 2005 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” This study found that differentiated cells of the corneal epithelium can be converted to hair and interfollicular epidermis through a multistep process involving dermal developmental signals.
55 citations
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January 2004 in “The International Journal of Developmental Biology” This study reports that corneal transient amplifying cells can be reprogrammed into epidermal cells capable of forming hair follicles in response to embryonic dermis signals.
April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” This study suggests that with aging, mouse corneal renewal increasingly relies on Lrig1+ stem cells as CD44 expression and Wnt activity decline.