Restoration of Corneal Transparency by Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Sharad K. Mittal; Masahiro Omoto; Afsaneh Amouzegar; Anuradha Sahu; Alexandra Rezazadeh; Kishore R. Katikireddy; Dhvanit I. Shah; Srikant K. Sahu; Sunil K. Chauhan

doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.09.001

Stem Cell Reports (Oct 2016)

Restoration of Corneal Transparency by Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Sharad K. Mittal,
Masahiro Omoto,
Afsaneh Amouzegar,
Anuradha Sahu,
Alexandra Rezazadeh,
Kishore R. Katikireddy,
Dhvanit I. Shah,
Srikant K. Sahu,
Sunil K. Chauhan

Affiliations

Sharad K. Mittal: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Masahiro Omoto: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Afsaneh Amouzegar: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Anuradha Sahu: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Alexandra Rezazadeh: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Kishore R. Katikireddy: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Dhvanit I. Shah: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Srikant K. Sahu: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Sunil K. Chauhan: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, 20 Staniford Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.09.001
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 4
pp. 583 – 590

Abstract

Read online

Transparency of the cornea is indispensable for optimal vision. Ocular trauma is a leading cause of corneal opacity, leading to 25 million cases of blindness annually. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have gained prominence due to their inflammation-suppressing and tissue repair functions. Here, we investigate the potential of MSCs to restore corneal transparency following ocular injury. Using an in vivo mouse model of ocular injury, we report that MSCs have the capacity to restore corneal transparency by secreting high levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Interestingly, our data also show that HGF alone can restore corneal transparency, an observation that has translational implications for the development of HGF-based therapy.

Published in Stem Cell Reports

ISSN: 2213-6711 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General); Science: Biology (General)
Website: http://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/home

About the journal