Research progress in markers of limbal stem cells

Abstract

The continuous proliferation and differentiation of limbal stem cells(LSCs)maintain the integrity and homeostasis of the corneal epithelium, which plays an important role in protecting the cornea and maintaining corneal transparency. Currently limbal stem cell deficiency(LSCD)is one of major causes of blindness in corneal diseases, and transplantation of LSCs is the hot therapeutic option. The effectiveness of transplantation mainly depends on the proportion of LSCs to the total transplanted cells, so it is very important to clearly identify LSCs. There are many markers of LSCs, but their specificity is controversial. Therefore, one of the main challenges in LSCs transplantation is the lack of definitive cell markers. In this paper, the latest research progress of LSCs markers is reviewed.

Keywords

• limbal stem cells
• markers
• p63