Stepp Mary Ann, Zieske James D
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20037, USA.
Ocul Surf. 2005 Jan;3(1):15-26. doi: 10.1016/s1542-0124(12)70119-2.
In recent years, it has become generally accepted that the corneal epithelial stem cells are localized in the basal cell layer of the limbal epithelium. However, a number of questions remain regarding the number, markers, generation, and maintenance of the corneal epithelial stem cells. One of the key questions concerns what makes up the microenvironment or niche that is responsible for allowing the stem cells to remain and function throughout the life of the tissue. This review will consider the unique aspects of the limbus and compare these to what is known about other stem cell niches.
近年来，角膜上皮干细胞定位于角膜缘上皮的基底细胞层已成为普遍共识。然而，关于角膜上皮干细胞的数量、标志物、产生和维持仍存在许多问题。其中一个关键问题是，是什么构成了微环境或生态位，使得干细胞能够在组织的整个生命周期中留存并发挥功能。本综述将探讨角膜缘的独特之处，并将其与已知的其他干细胞生态位进行比较。
