Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in the tras-differentiation from mouse epidermal cells to corneal epithelial cells

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K11484
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Ophthalmology
• Research Institution: Ehime University
• Principal Investigator: Shiraishi Atsushi 愛媛大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (90314963)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小林 剛 愛媛大学, 医学系研究科, 寄附講座講師 (70380285) ; 三谷 亜里沙 愛媛大学, 医学部附属病院, 医員 (60648096)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 角膜上皮 / 表皮細胞 / 形質転換 / 角膜輪部

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we employed three-dimensional culture model including mouse epidermal sp cells, human corneal stromal fibloblasts, and human corneal limbal stromal fibloblasts and demonstrated the quantitive analysis of corneal epithelial differentiation markers expressed in the mouse epidermal sp cells. Furthermore, to elucidate the effect of corneal limbal stromal factors including Wnt related factors for trans-differentiation from mouse epidermal cells to corneal epithelial cells, we performed tras-criptome analysis of corneal limbal stromal fibloblasts. We analyzed candidate factors that can be related to trans-differentiation to the corneal epithelial cells, and found 21 secreted proteins and 15 extracellular matrices genes.

Free Research Field

角膜

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で得られた成果は、形質転換および角膜上皮の分化誘導における分子機構の解明を促進し、表皮幹細胞を用いた角膜上皮再生医療の実現に貢献できると考えられる。さらに、人工多能性幹細胞（iPS細胞）等を用いた次世代の再生医療の実現に向けても、本研究で得られる知見が利用可能であり、当分野において多大な貢献ができると考えられる。