School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
School of Science and Engineering, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
J Biophotonics. 2024 Nov;17(11):e202400172. doi: 10.1002/jbio.202400172. Epub 2024 Sep 27.
The limbal niche is an adult source of epithelial stem cells which regenerate the cornea epithelium. The architecture and biomechanical properties of the limbus have previously been demonstrated to change due to aging and disease. This study aims to non-destructively and simultaneously quantify these limbal niche properties, along with their age-related changes. A lab-built vibrational optical coherence elastography (OCE) device consisting of a phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a vibrational stimulator has been used to collect structural images and the depth-resolved elasticity of human corneoscleral tissues (aged 4-96 years old). The limbal palisades of Vogt (POV) were delineated well in OCT images which were validated by histology. The POVs have been spatially mapped with simultaneous elasticity measurements in cross-sections, showing tissue stiffness distributions across the undulations. A significant influence of age on the dimensions of the POVs was explored. The elastic modulus within the limbal niches for the ≥65-year-old group was significantly higher than that of the <65-year-old group.
角膜缘窝是成人上皮干细胞的来源，可再生角膜上皮。先前已经证明，由于衰老和疾病，角膜缘的结构和生物力学特性会发生变化。本研究旨在非破坏性且同时定量评估这些角膜缘窝特性及其与年龄相关的变化。我们使用实验室构建的振动光学相干弹性成像（OCE）设备，该设备由具有振动刺激器的相敏光学相干断层扫描（OCT）组成，以收集人类角巩膜组织的结构图像和深度分辨弹性（年龄为 4-96 岁）。OCT 图像中很好地区分了沃格特角膜缘嵴（POV），并通过组织学进行了验证。在横截面中进行了 POV 的空间映射和同时弹性测量，显示了整个波动范围内的组织硬度分布。研究了年龄对 POV 尺寸的显著影响。≥65 岁组的角膜缘窝弹性模量明显高于<65 岁组。
