Search results for "limbal stem cells"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Human limbal fibroblast-like stem cells induce immune-tolerance in autoreactive T lymphocytes from female patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
2017
Background Due to their “natural immune privilege” and immunoregulatory properties human fibroblast-like limbal stem cells (f-LSCs) have acquired great interest as a potential tool for achieving immunotolerance. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is the most common thyroid autoimmune disease and cause of hypothyroidism. To date, conventional hormone replacement therapy and unspecific immunosuppressive regimens cannot provide a definitive cure for HT subjects. We explored the immunosuppressant potential of human f-LSCs on circulating lymphomonocytes (PBMCs) collected from healthy donors and female HT patients. Methods We assessed the immunophenotyping of f-LSCs, both untreated and after 48 h of pr…
Donor age and long-term culture do not negatively influence the stem potential of limbal fibroblast-like stem cells
2016
AbstractBackgroundIn regenerative medicine the maintenance of stem cell properties is of crucial importance. Ageing is considered a cause of reduced stemness capability. The limbus is a stem niche of easy access and harbors two stem cell populations: epithelial stem cells and fibroblast-like stem cells. Our aim was to investigate whether donor age and/or long-term culture have any influence on stem cell marker expression and the profiles in the fibroblast-like stem cell population.MethodsFibroblast-like stem cells were isolated and digested from 25 limbus samples of normal human corneo-scleral rings and long-term cultures were obtained. SSEA4 expression and sphere-forming capability were ev…
PFN1 and integrin‐β1/mTOR axis involvement in cornea differentiation of fibroblast limbal stem cells
2019
Abstract Ex vivo limbal stem cell transplantation is the main therapeutic approach to address a complete and functional re‐epithelialization in corneal blindness, the second most common eye disorder. Although important key points were defined, the molecular mechanisms involved in the epithelial phenotype determination are unclear. Our previous studies have demonstrated the pluripotency and immune‐modulatory of fibroblast limbal stem cells (f‐LSCs), isolated from the corneal limbus. We defined a proteomic profile especially enriched in wound healing and cytoskeleton‐remodelling proteins, including Profilin‐1 (PFN1). In this study we postulate that pfn‐1 knock down promotes epithelial lineage…
Anti-Inflammatory Action of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 in Patients with Autoimmune Endocrine Disorders
2019
Our previous studies documented that human fibroblast-limbal stem cells (f-LSCs) possess immunosuppressive capabilities, playing a role in regulating T-cell activity. This study highlights the molecular activities by which human f-LSCs can attenuate the inflammatory responses of self-reactive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from patients with autoimmune endocrine diseases (AEDs). Anti-CD3 activated PBMCs from twenty healthy donors and fifty-two patients with AEDs were cocultured on f-LSC monolayer. 2D-DIGE proteomic experiments, mass spectrometry sequencing and functional in vitro assays were assessed in cocultured PBMCs. We identified the downmodulation of several huma…
Production of a Double-Layer Scaffold for the “On-Demand” Release of Fibroblast-like Limbal Stem Cells
2019
The production and characterization of a double layer scaffold, to be used as a system for the “on demand” release of corneal limbal stem cells are here reported. The devices used in the clinics and proposed so far in the scientific literature, for the release of corneal stem cells in the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency, cannot control the in vivo space-time release of cells since the biomaterial of which they are composed is devoid of stimuli responsiveness features. Our approach was to produce a scaffold composed of two different polymeric layers that give the device the appropriate mechanical properties to be placed on the ocular surface and the possibility of releasing the stem…