Limbal niche cells: a novel feeder cell for autologous cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation.

Abstract

To establish a culture system using conspecific limbal niche cells (LNCs) as feeders for autologous cultivated oral mucosal epithelial transplantation (COMET). Rabbit oral epithelial sheets, harvested from culture systems containing LNCs or 3T3 cells, were transplanted onto limbal stem cell-deficient rabbit eyes (COMET-3T3 or COMET-LNCs). After COMET, corneas were relatively restored, with the exception of mild neovascularization in one cornea of the COMET-3T3 group. CD34 was detected in COMET-3T3 group corneas. Corneas of the COMET-LNCs group expressed high levels of PEDF and sFlt-1, but low levels of bFGF, compared with expression in COMET-3T3 corneas. The culture system containing conspecific LNC feeders could substitute for the 3T3 cell system and decrease the risk of neovascularization after COMET.