Sun Di, Shi Wei-Yun, Dou Sheng-Qian
State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Eye Institute of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China.
Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Qingdao 266000, Shandong Province, China.
World J Stem Cells. 2023 May 26;15(5):466-475. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v15.i5.466.
The corneal epithelium is composed of stratified squamous epithelial cells on the outer surface of the eye, which acts as a protective barrier and is critical for clear and stable vision. Its continuous renewal or wound healing depends on the proliferation and differentiation of limbal stem cells (LSCs), a cell population that resides at the limbus in a highly regulated niche. Dysfunction of LSCs or their niche can cause limbal stem cell deficiency, a disease that is manifested by failed epithelial wound healing or even blindness. Nevertheless, compared to stem cells in other tissues, little is known about the LSCs and their niche. With the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing, our understanding of LSC characteristics and their microenvironment has grown considerably. In this review, we summarized the current findings from single-cell studies in the field of cornea research and focused on important advancements driven by this technology, including the heterogeneity of the LSC population, novel LSC markers and regulation of the LSC niche, which will provide a reference for clinical issues such as corneal epithelial wound healing, ocular surface reconstruction and interventions for related diseases.
角膜上皮由位于眼外表面的复层鳞状上皮细胞组成，它作为一种保护屏障，对清晰稳定的视力至关重要。其持续更新或伤口愈合依赖于角膜缘干细胞（LSCs）的增殖和分化，角膜缘干细胞群体位于角膜缘一个高度受调控的微环境中。角膜缘干细胞或其微环境功能障碍可导致角膜缘干细胞缺乏症，该疾病表现为上皮伤口愈合失败甚至失明。然而，与其他组织中的干细胞相比，我们对角膜缘干细胞及其微环境了解甚少。随着单细胞RNA测序的出现，我们对角膜缘干细胞特征及其微环境的认识有了显著增长。在本综述中，我们总结了角膜研究领域单细胞研究的当前发现，并重点关注了该技术推动的重要进展，包括角膜缘干细胞群体的异质性、新型角膜缘干细胞标志物以及角膜缘干细胞微环境的调控，这将为角膜上皮伤口愈合、眼表重建及相关疾病干预等临床问题提供参考。
