Abstract
The transplantation of cultured limbal epithelial cells (LEC) has since its first application in 1997 emerged as a promising technique for treating limbal stem cell deficiency. The culture methods hitherto used vary with respect to preparation of the harvested tissue, choice of culture medium, culture time, culture substrates, and supplementary techniques. In this chapter, we describe a procedure for establishing human LEC cultures using a feeder-free explant culture technique with human amniotic membrane (AM) as the culture substrate.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Dua HS, Azuara-Blanco A (2000) Limbal stem cells of the corneal epithelium. Surv Ophthalmol 44:415–425
Pellegrini G, Traverso CE, Franzi AT, Zingirian M, Cancedda R, De Luca M (1997) Long-term restoration of damaged corneal surfaces with autologous cultivated corneal epithelium. Lancet 349:990–993
Schwab IR (1999) Cultured corneal epithelia for ocular surface disease. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 97:891–986
Koizumi N, Inatomi T, Suzuki T, Sotozono C, Kinoshita S (2001) Cultivated corneal epithelial stem cell transplantation in ocular surface disorders. Ophthalmology 108:1569–1574
Jenkins C, Tuft S, Liu C, Buckley R (1993) Limbal transplantation in the management of chronic contact-lens-associated epitheliopathy. Eye 7:629–633
Basu S, Ali H, Sangwan VS (2012) Clinical outcomes of repeat autologous cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation for ocular surface burns. Am J Ophthalmol 153:643–650, e2
Kinoshita S, Koizumi N, Sotozono C, Yamada J, Nakamura T, Inatomi T (2004) Concept and clinical application of cultivated epithelial transplantation for ocular surface disorders. Ocul Surf 2:21–33
Lim P, Fuchsluger TA, Jurkunas UV (2009) Limbal stem cell deficiency and corneal neovascularization. Semin Ophthalmol 24:139–148
Sharpe JR, Daya SM, Dimitriadi M, Martin R, James SE (2007) Survival of cultured allogeneic limbal epithelial cells following corneal repair. Tissue Eng 13:123–132
Pauklin M, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2009) Characterization of the corneal surface in limbal stem cell deficiency and after transplantation of cultivated limbal epithelium. Ophthalmology 116:1048–1056
Pauklin M, Kakkassery V, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2009) Expression of membrane-associated mucins in limbal stem cell deficiency and after transplantation of cultivated limbal epithelium. Curr Eye Res 34:221–230
Sahu SK, Das S, Sachdeva V, Sangwan VS (2009) Alcaligenes xylosoxidans keratitis after autologous cultivated limbal epithelium transplant. Can J Ophthalmol 44:336–337
Marchini G, Pedrotti E, Pedrotti M, Barbaro V, Di Iorio E, Ferrari S et al (2011) Long-term effectiveness of autologous cultured limbal stem cell grafts in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency due to chemical burns. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 40:255–267
Basu S, Mohamed A, Chaurasia S, Sejpal K, Vemuganti GK, Sangwan VS (2011) Clinical outcomes of penetrating keratoplasty after autologous cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation for ocular surface burns. Am J Ophthalmol 152:917–924, e1
Nakamura T, Sotozono C, Bentley AJ, Mano S, Inatomi T, Koizumi N et al (2010) Long-term phenotypic study after allogeneic cultivated corneal limbal epithelial transplantation for severe ocular surface diseases. Ophthalmology 117:2247–2254, e1
Tseng SC, Meller D, Anderson DF, Touhami A, Pires RT, Gruterich M et al (2002) Ex vivo preservation and expansion of human limbal epithelial stem cells on amniotic membrane for treating corneal diseases with total limbal stem cell deficiency. Adv Exp Med Biol 506(Pt B):1323–1334
Gomes JA, Pazos HS, Silva AB, Cristovam PC, Belfort Junior R (2009) Transplante de celulas-tronco epiteliais limbicas alogenas expandidas ex vivo sobre membrana amniotica: relato de caso. Arq Bras Oftalmol 72:254–256
Harkin DG, Barnard Z, Gillies P, Ainscough SL, Apel AJ (2004) Analysis of p63 and cytokeratin expression in a cultivated limbal autograft used in the treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency. Br J Ophthalmol 88:1154–1158
Shigeyasu C, Shimazaki J (2011) Ocular surface reconstruction after exposure to high concentrations of antiseptic solutions. Cornea 31:59–65
Sangwan VS, Basu S, Vemuganti GK, Sejpal K, Subramaniam SV, Bandyopadhyay S et al (2011) Clinical outcomes of xeno-free autologous cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation: a 10-year study. Br J Ophthalmol 95:1525–1529
Sharma S, Tandon R, Mohanty S, Sharma NMV, Sen S, Kashyap S et al (2011) Culture of corneal limbal epithelial stem cells: experience from benchtop to bedside in a tertiary care hospital in India. Cornea 30:1223–1232
Thanos M, Pauklin M, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2010) Ocular surface reconstruction with cultivated limbal epithelium in a patient with unilateral stem cell deficiency caused by Epidermolysis Bullosa Dystrophica Hallopeau-Siemens. Cornea 29:462–464
Meller D, Pauklin M, Westekemper H, Steuhl KP (2010) Autologe Transplantation von kultiviertem Limbusepithel. Ophthalmologe 107:1133–1138
Desousa JL, Daya S, Malhotra R (2009) Adnexal surgery in patients undergoing ocular surface stem cell transplantation. Ophthalmology 116:235–242
Meller D, Fuchsluger T, Pauklin M, Steuhl KP (2009) Ocular surface reconstruction in graft-versus-host disease with HLA-identical living-related allogeneic cultivated limbal epithelium after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from the same donor. Cornea 28:233–236
Sangwan VS, Vemuganti GK, Singh S, Balasubramanian D (2003) Successful reconstruction of damaged ocular outer surface in humans using limbal and conjuctival stem cell culture methods. Biosci Rep 23:169–174
Ang LP, Sotozono C, Koizumi N, Suzuki T, Inatomi T, Kinoshita S (2007) A comparison between cultivated and conventional limbal stem cell transplantation for Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Am J Ophthalmol 143:178–180
Baradaran-Rafii A, Ebrahimi M, Kanavi MR, Taghi-Abadi E, Aghdami N, Eslani M et al (2010) Midterm outcomes of autologous cultivated limbal stem cell transplantation with or without penetrating keratoplasty. Cornea 29:502–509
Daya SM, Watson A, Sharpe JR, Giledi O, Rowe A, Martin R et al (2005) Outcomes and DNA analysis of ex vivo expanded stem cell allograft for ocular surface reconstruction. Ophthalmology 112:470–477
Di Girolamo N, Bosch M, Zamora K, Coroneo MT, Wakefield D, Watson SL (2009) A contact lens-based technique for expansion and transplantation of autologous epithelial progenitors for ocular surface reconstruction. Transplantation 87:1571–1578
Di Iorio E, Ferrari S, Fasolo A, Bohm E, Ponzin D, Barbaro V (2010) Techniques for culture and assessment of limbal stem cell grafts. Ocul Surf 8:146–153
Fatima A, Vemuganti GK, Iftekhar G, Rao GN, Sangwan VS (2007) In vivo survival and stratification of cultured limbal epithelium. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 35:96–98
Grueterich M (2002) Phenotypic study of a case with successful transplantation of ex vivo expanded human limbal epithelium for unilateral total limbal stem cell deficiency. Ophthalmology 109:1547–1552
Kawashima M, Kawakita T, Satake Y, Higa K, Shimazaki J (2007) Phenotypic study after cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation for limbal stem cell deficiency. Arch Ophthalmol 125:1337–1344
Koizumi N, Inatomi T, Suzuki T, Sotozono C, Kinoshita S (2001) Cultivated corneal epithelial transplantation for ocular surface reconstruction in acute phase of Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Arch Ophthalmol 119:298–300
Nakamura T, Koizumi N, Tsuzuki M, Inoki K, Sano Y, Sotozono C et al (2003) Successful regrafting of cultivated corneal epithelium using amniotic membrane as a carrier in severe ocular surface disease. Cornea 22:70–71
Nakamura T, Inatomi T, Sotozono C, Koizumi N, Kinoshita S (2004) Successful primary culture and autologous transplantation of corneal limbal epithelial cells from minimal biopsy for unilateral severe ocular surface disease. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 82:468–471
Nakamura T, Inatomi T, Sotozono C, Ang LP, Koizumi N, Yokoi N et al (2006) Transplantation of autologous serum-derived cultivated corneal epithelial equivalents for the treatment of severe ocular surface disease. Ophthalmology 113:1765–1772
Pauklin M, Fuchsluger TA, Westekemper H, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2010) Midterm results of cultivated autologous and allogeneic limbal epithelial transplantation in limbal stem cell deficiency. Dev Ophthalmol 45:57–70
Rama P, Bonini S, Lambiase A, Golisano O, Paterna P, De Luca M et al (2001) Autologous fibrin-cultured limbal stem cells permanently restore the corneal surface of patients with total limbal stem cell deficiency. Transplantation 72:1478–1485
Sangwan VS, Vemuganti GK, Iftekhar G, Bansal AK, Rao GN (2003) Use of autologous cultured limbal and conjunctival epithelium in a patient with severe bilateral ocular surface disease induced by acid injury: a case report of unique application. Cornea 22:478–481
Sangwan VS, Matalia HP, Vemuganti GK, Fatima A, Iftekhar G, Singh S et al (2006) Clinical outcome of autologous cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation. Indian J Ophthalmol 54:29–34
Schwab IR, Reyes M, Isseroff RR (2000) Successful transplantation of bioengineered tissue replacements in patients with ocular surface disease. Cornea 19:421–426
Shimazaki J, Higa K, Morito F, Dogru M, Kawakita T, Satake Y et al (2007) Factors influencing outcomes in cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation for chronic cicatricial ocular surface disorders. Am J Ophthalmol 143:945–953
Tsai RJ, Li LM, Chen JK (2000) Reconstruction of damaged corneas by transplantation of autologous limbal epithelial cells. N Engl J Med 343:86–93
Colabelli Gisoldi RA, Pocobelli A, Villani CM, Amato D, Pellegrini G (2010) Evaluation of molecular markers in corneal regeneration by means of autologous cultures of limbal cells and keratoplasty. Cornea 29:715–722
Kolli S, Ahmad S, Lako M, Figueiredo F (2010) Successful clinical implementation of corneal epithelial stem cell therapy for treatment of unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency. Stem Cells 28:597–610
Rama P, Matuska S, Paganoni G, Spinelli A, De Luca M, Pellegrini G (2010) Limbal stem-cell therapy and long-term corneal regeneration. N Engl J Med 363:147–155
Shortt AJ, Secker GA, Rajan MS, Meligonis G, Dart JK, Tuft SJ et al (2008) Ex vivo expansion and transplantation of limbal epithelial stem cells. Ophthalmology 115:1989–1997
Pan Z, Zhang W, Wu Y, Sun B (2002) Transplantation of corneal stem cells cultured on amniotic membrane for corneal burn: experimental and clinical study. Chin Med J (Engl) 115:767–769
Shimazaki J, Aiba M, Goto E, Kato N, Shimmura S, Tsubota K (2002) Transplantation of human limbal epithelium cultivated on amniotic membrane for the treatment of severe ocular surface disorders. Ophthalmology 109:1285–1290
Sangwan VS, Matalia HP, Vemuganti GK, Iftekhar G, Fatima A, Singh S et al (2005) Early results of penetrating keratoplasty after cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation. Arch Ophthalmol 123:334–340
Sangwan VS, Murphy SI, Vemuganti GK, Bansal AK, Gangopadhyay N, Rao GN (2005) Cultivated corneal epithelial transplantation for severe ocular surface disease in vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Cornea 24:426–430
Dobrowolski D, Wylegala E, Orzechowska-Wylegala B, Wowra B, Wroblewska-Czajka E (2011) Application of autologous cultivated corneal epithelium for corneal limbal stem cell insufficiency—short-term results. Klin Oczna 113:346–351
Fatima A, Matalia HP, Vemuganti GK, Honavar SG, Sangwan VS (2006) Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia mimicking ocular surface squamous neoplasia following cultivated limbal epithelium transplantation. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol 34:889–891
Tsai RJ, Li L, Chen J (2000) Reconstruction of damaged corneas by transplantation of autologous limbal epithelial cells(1). Am J Ophthalmol 130:543
Shortt AJ, Secker GA, Notara MD, Limb GA, Khaw PT, Tuft SJ et al (2007) Transplantation of ex vivo cultured limbal epithelial stem cells: a review of techniques and clinical results. Surv Ophthalmol 52:483–502
Satake Y, Shimmura S, Shimazaki J (2009) Cultivated autologous limbal epithelial transplantation for symptomatic bullous keratopathy. BMJ Case Rep. pii: bcr.11.2008.1239
Mariappan I, Maddileti S, Savy S, Tiwari S, Gaddipati S, Fatima A et al (2010) In vitro culture and expansion of human limbal epithelial cells. Nat Protoc 5:1470–1479
Madhavan HN, Priya K, Malathi J, Joseph PR (2002) Preparation of amniotic membrane for ocular surface reconstruction. Indian J Ophthalmol 50:227–231
Dua HS, Maharajan VS, Hopkinson A (2006) Controversies and limitations of amniotic membrane in ophthalmic surgery. In: Reinhard T, Larkin F (eds) Cornea and external eye disease (Essentials in ophthalmology). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 21–33
Adds PJ, Hunt CJ, Dart JK (2001) Amniotic membrane grafts, “fresh” or frozen? A clinical and in vitro comparison. Br J Ophthalmol 85:905–907
Lee SH, Tseng SC (1997) Amniotic membrane transplantation for persistent epithelial defects with ulceration. Am J Ophthalmol 123:303–312
van Baare J, Ligtvoet EE, Middelkoop E (1998) Microbiological evaluation of glycerolized cadaveric donor skin. Transplantation 65:966–970
Shortt AJ, Secker GA, Lomas RJ, Wilshaw SP, Kearney JN, Tuft SJ et al (2009) The effect of amniotic membrane preparation method on its ability to serve as a substrate for the ex-vivo expansion of limbal epithelial cells. Biomaterials 30:1056–1065
Grueterich M, Espana EM, Tseng SC (2003) Modulation of keratin and connexin expression in limbal epithelium expanded on denuded amniotic membrane with and without a 3T3 fibroblast feeder layer. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:4230–4236
Grueterich M, Espana E, Tseng SC (2002) Connexin 43 expression and proliferation of human limbal epithelium on intact and denuded amniotic membrane. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:63–71
Sudha B, Sitalakshmi G, Iyer GK, Krishnakumar S (2008) Putative stem cell markers in limbal epithelial cells cultured on intact & denuded human amniotic membrane. Indian J Med Res 128:149–156
Koizumi N, Rigby H, Fullwood NJ, Kawasaki S, Tanioka H, Koizumi K et al (2007) Comparison of intact and denuded amniotic membrane as a substrate for cell-suspension culture of human limbal epithelial cells. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 245:123–134
Kubo M, Sonoda Y, Muramatsu R, Usui M (2001) Immunogenicity of human amniotic membrane in experimental xenotransplantation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 42:1539–1546
Dekaris I, Gabric N (2009) Preparation and preservation of amniotic membrane. Dev Ophthalmol 43:97–104
Thomasen H, Pauklin M, Noelle B, Geerling G, Vetter J, Steven P et al (2011) The effect of long-term storage on the biological and histological properties of cryopreserved amniotic membrane. Curr Eye Res 36:247–255
Meller D, Pires RT, Tseng SC (2002) Ex vivo preservation and expansion of human limbal epithelial stem cells on amniotic membrane cultures. Br J Ophthalmol 86:463–471
Tseng SC, Li DQ, Ma X (1999) Suppression of transforming growth factor-beta isoforms, TGF-beta receptor type II, and myofibroblast differentiation in cultured human corneal and limbal fibroblasts by amniotic membrane matrix. J Cell Physiol 179:325–335
Grueterich M, Tseng SC (2002) Human limbal progenitor cells expanded on intact amniotic membrane ex vivo. Arch Ophthalmol 120:783–790
Hernandez Galindo EE, Galindo EE, Theiss C, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2003) Gap junctional communication in microinjected human limbal and peripheral corneal epithelial cells cultured on intact amniotic membrane. Exp Eye Res 76:303–314
Hernandez Galindo EE, Theiss C, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2003) Expression of Delta Np63 in response to phorbol ester in human limbal epithelial cells expanded on intact human amniotic membrane. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:2959–2965
Du Y, Chen J, Funderburgh JL, Zhu X, Li L (2003) Functional reconstruction of rabbit corneal epithelium by human limbal cells cultured on amniotic membrane. Mol Vis 9:635–643
Ma DH, Lai JY, Cheng HY, Tsai CC, Yeh LK (2010) Carbodiimide cross-linked amniotic membranes for cultivation of limbal epithelial cells. Biomaterials 31:6647–6658
Lim LS, Poh RW, Riau AK, Beuerman RW, Tan D, Mehta JS (2010) Biological and ultrastructural properties of acelagraft, a freeze-dried gamma-irradiated human amniotic membrane. Arch Ophthalmol 128:1303–1310
Singh R, Gupta P, Kumar P, Kumar A, Chacharkar MP (2003) Properties of air dried radiation processed amniotic membranes under different storage conditions. Cell Tissue Bank 4:95–100
Thomasen H, Pauklin M, Steuhl KP, Meller D (2009) Comparison of cryopreserved and air-dried human amniotic membrane for ophthalmologic applications. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 247:1691–1700
Connon CJ, Doutch J, Chen B, Hopkinson A, Mehta JS, Nakamura T et al (2010) The variation in transparency of amniotic membrane used in ocular surface regeneration. Br J Ophthalmol 94:1057–1061
Rahman I, Said DG, Maharajan VS, Dua HS (2009) Amniotic membrane in ophthalmology: indications and limitations. Eye 23:1954–1961
Hopkinson A, McIntosh RS, Tighe PJ, James DK, Dua HS (2006) Amniotic membrane for ocular surface reconstruction: donor variations and the effect of handling on TGF-beta content. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47:4316–4322
Talbot M, Carrier P, Giasson CJ, Deschambeault A, Guerin SL, Auger FA et al (2006) Autologous transplantation of rabbit limbal epithelia cultured on fibrin gels for ocular surface reconstruction. Mol Vis 12:65–75
Higa K, Takeshima N, Moro F, Kawakita T, Kawashima M, Demura M et al (2010) Porous silk fibroin film as a transparent carrier for cultivated corneal epithelial sheets. J Biomater Sci Polym Ed. doi:10.1163/092050610X538218
Bray LJ, George KA, Ainscough SL, Hutmacher DW, Chirila TV, Harkin DG (2011) Human corneal epithelial equivalents constructed on Bombyx mori silk fibroin membranes. Biomaterials 32:5086–5091
Mi S, Chen B, Wright B, Connon CJ (2010) Ex vivo construction of an artificial ocular surface by combination of corneal limbal epithelial cells and a compressed collagen scaffold containing keratocytes. Tissue Eng Part A 16:2091–2100
Levis HJ, Brown RA, Daniels JT (2010) Plastic compressed collagen as a biomimetic substrate for human limbal epithelial cell culture. Biomaterials 31:7726–7737
Mi S, Chen B, Wright B, Connon CJ (2010) Plastic compression of a collagen gel forms a much improved scaffold for ocular surface tissue engineering over conventional collagen gels. J Biomed Mater Res A 95:447–453
Barbaro V, Ferrari S, Fasolo A, Ponzin D, Di Iorio E (2009) Reconstruction of a human hemicornea through natural scaffolds compatible with the growth of corneal epithelial stem cells and stromal keratocytes. Mol Vis 15:2084–2093
Zajicova A, Pokorna K, Lencova A, Krulova M, Svobodova E, Kubinova S et al (2010) Treatment of ocular surface injuries by limbal and mesenchymal stem cells growing on nanofiber scaffolds. Cell Transplant 19:1281–1290
Deshpande P, McKean R, Blackwood KA, Senior RA, Ogunbanjo A, Ryan AJ et al (2010) Using poly(lactide-co-glycolide) electrospun scaffolds to deliver cultured epithelial cells to the cornea. Regen Med 5:395–401
Sharma S, Mohanty S, Gupta D, Jassal M, Agrawal AK, Tandon R (2011) Cellular response of limbal epithelial cells on electrospun poly-epsilon-caprolactone nanofibrous scaffolds for ocular surface bioengineering: a preliminary in vitro study. Mol Vis 17:2898–2910
Fiorica C, Senior RA, Pitarresi G, Palumbo FS, Giammona G, Deshpande P et al (2011) Biocompatible hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid cross-linked with a polyaspartamide derivative as delivery systems for epithelial limbal cells. Int J Pharm 414:104–111
Di Girolamo N, Chui J, Wakefield D, Coroneo MT (2007) Cultured human ocular surface epithelium on therapeutic contact lenses. Br J Ophthalmol 91:459–464
Li DQ, Chen Z, Song XJ, de Paiva CS, Kim HS, Pflugfelder SC (2005) Partial enrichment of a population of human limbal epithelial cells with putative stem cell properties based on collagen type IV adhesiveness. Exp Eye Res 80:581–590
Kito K, Kagami H, Kobayashi C, Ueda M, Terasaki H (2005) Effects of cryopreservation on histology and viability of cultured corneal epithelial cell sheets in rabbit. Cornea 24:735–741
Ahmadiankia N, Ebrahimi M, Hosseini A, Baharvand H (2009) Effects of different extracellular matrices and co-cultures on human limbal stem cell expansion in vitro. Cell Biol Int 33:978–987
Sudha B, Jasty S, Krishnan S, Krishnakumar S (2009) Signal transduction pathway involved in the ex vivo expansion of limbal epithelial cells cultured on various substrates. Indian J Med Res 129:382–389
Nishida K, Yamato M, Hayashida Y, Watanabe K, Yamamoto K, Adachi E et al (2004) Corneal reconstruction with tissue-engineered cell sheets composed of autologous oral mucosal epithelium. N Engl J Med 351:1187–1196
Nishida K, Yamato M, Hayashida Y, Watanabe K, Maeda N, Watanabe H et al (2004) Functional bioengineered corneal epithelial sheet grafts from corneal stem cells expanded ex vivo on a temperature-responsive cell culture surface. Transplantation 77:379–385
Hayashi R, Yamato M, Takayanagi H, Oie Y, Kubota A, Hori Y et al (2010) Validation system of tissue engineered epithelial cell sheets for corneal regenerative medicine. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 16:553–560
Sudha B, Madhavan HN, Sitalakshmi G, Malathi J, Krishnakumar S, Mori Y et al (2006) Cultivation of human corneal limbal stem cells in Mebiol gel—A thermo-reversible gelation polymer. Indian J Med Res 124:655–664
Sitalakshmi G, Sudha B, Madhavan HN, Vinay S, Krishnakumar S, Mori Y et al (2008) Ex vivo cultivation of corneal limbal epithelial cells in a thermoreversible polymer (Mebiol gel) and their transplantation in rabbits: an animal model. Tissue Eng Part A 75:402–415
Francis D, Abberton K, Thompson E, Daniell M (2009) Myogel supports the ex-vivo amplification of corneal epithelial cells. Exp Eye Res 88:339–346
Xie HT, Chen SY, Li GG, Tseng SC (2011) Limbal epithelial stem/progenitor cells attract stromal niche cells by SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling to prevent differentiation. Stem Cells 29:1874–1885
Dravida S, Gaddipati S, Griffith M, Merrett K, Lakshmi Madhira S, Sangwan VS et al (2008) A biomimetic scaffold for culturing limbal stem cells: a promising alternative for clinical transplantation. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2:263–271
Utheim TP, Raeder S, Utheim OA, Cai Y, Roald B, Drolsum L et al (2007) A novel method for preserving cultured limbal epithelial cells. Br J Ophthalmol 91:797–800
Raeder S, Utheim TP, Utheim OA, Cai Y, Roald B, Lyberg T et al (2007) Effect of limbal explant orientation on the histology, phenotype, ultrastructure and barrier function of cultured limbal epithelial cells. Acta Ophthalmol Scand 85:377–386
Meller D, Tseng SC (1999) Conjunctival epithelial cell differentiation on amniotic membrane. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 40:878–886
James SE, Rowe A, Ilari L, Daya S, Martin R (2001) The potential for eye bank limbal rings to generate cultured corneal epithelial allografts. Cornea 20:488–494
Meyer-Blazejewska EA, Kruse FE, Bitterer K, Meyer C, Hofmann-Rummelt C, Wunsch PH (2010) Preservation of the limbal stem cell phenotype by appropriate culture techniques. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 51:765–774
Notara M, Shortt AJ, O’Callaghan AR, Daniels JT (2012) The impact of age on the physical and cellular properties of the human limbal stem cell niche. Age (Dordr). doi:10.1007/s11357-011-9359-5
Chang CY, McGhee JJ, Green CR, Sherwin T (2011) Comparison of stem cell properties in cell populations isolated from human central and limbal corneal epithelium. Cornea 30:1155–1162
Zito-Abbad E, Borderie VM, Baudrimont M, Bourcier T, Laroche L, Chapel C et al (2006) Corneal epithelial cultures generated from organ-cultured limbal tissue: factors influencing epithelial cell growth. Curr Eye Res 31:391–399
Shanmuganathan VA, Rotchford AP, Tullo AB, Joseph A, Zambrano I, Dua HS (2006) Epithelial proliferative potential of organ cultured corneoscleral rims; implications for allo-limbal transplantation and eye banking. Br J Ophthalmol 90:55–58
Kim HS, Jun Song X, de Paiva CS, Chen Z, Pflugfelder SC, Li DQ (2004) Phenotypic characterization of human corneal epithelial cells expanded ex vivo from limbal explant and single cell cultures. Exp Eye Res 79:41–49
Utheim TP, Raeder S, Olstad OK, Utheim OA, de LaPaz M, Cheng R et al (2009) Comparison of the histology, gene expression profile, and phenotype of cultured human limbal epithelial cells from different limbal regions. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50:5165–5172
Shortt AJ, Secker GA, Munro PM, Khaw PT, Tuft SJ, Daniels JT (2007) Characterization of the limbal epithelial stem cell niche: novel imaging techniques permit in vivo observation and targeted biopsy of limbal epithelial stem cells. Stem Cells 25:1402–1409
Pellegrini G, Golisano O, Paterna P, Lambiase A, Bonini S, Rama P et al (1999) Location and clonal analysis of stem cells and their differentiated progeny in the human ocular surface. J Cell Biol 145:769–782
Espana EM, Romano AC, Kawakita T, Di Pascuale M, Smiddy R, Tseng SC (2003) Novel enzymatic isolation of an entire viable human limbal epithelial sheet. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 44:4275–4281
Chen SY, Hayashida Y, Chen MY, Xie HT, Tseng SC (2010) A new isolation method of human limbal progenitor cells by maintaining close association with their niche cells. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 17:537–548
Kawakita T, Shimmura S, Higa K, Espana EM, He H, Shimazaki J et al (2009) Greater growth potential of p63-positive epithelial cell clusters maintained in human limbal epithelial sheets. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50:4611–4617
Cristovam PC, Gloria MA, Melo GB, Gomes JA (2008) Importancia do co-cultivo com fibroblastos de camundongo 3T3 para estabelecer cultura de suspensao de celulas epiteliais do limbo humano. Arq Bras Oftalmol 71:689–694
Schwab IR, Johnson NT, Harkin DG (2006) Inherent risks associated with manufacture of bioengineered ocular surface tissue. Arch Ophthalmol 124:1734–1740
Selver OB, Barash A, Ahmed M, Wolosin JM (2011) ABCG2-dependent dye exclusion activity and clonal potential in epithelial cells continuously growing for one month from limbal explants. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:4330–4337
Schofield R (1983) The stem cell system. Biomed Pharmacother 37:375–380
Watt FM (2000) Out of Eden: stem cells and their niches. Science 287:1427–1430
Joseph A, Powell-Richards AO, Shanmuganathan VA, Dua HS (2004) Epithelial cell characteristics of cultured human limbal explants. Br J Ophthalmol 88:393–398
Kolli S, Lako M, Figueiredo F, Mudhar H, Ahmad S (2008) Loss of corneal epithelial stem cell properties in outgrowths from human limbal explants cultured on intact amniotic membrane. Regen Med 3:329–342
Zhang X, Sun H, Tang X, Ji J, Li X, Sun J et al (2005) Comparison of cell-suspension and explant culture of rabbit limbal epithelial cells. Exp Eye Res 80:227–233
Tan EK, He H, Tseng SC (2011) Epidermal differentiation and loss of clonal growth potential of human limbal basal epithelial progenitor cells during intrastromal invasion. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:4534–4545
Li W, Hayashida Y, He H, Kuo CL, Tseng SC (2007) The fate of limbal epithelial progenitor cells during explant culture on intact amniotic membrane. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:605–613
Koizumi N, Cooper LJ, Fullwood NJ, Nakamura T, Inoki K, Tsuzuki M et al (2002) An evaluation of cultivated corneal limbal epithelial cells, using cell-suspension culture. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 43:2114–2121
Deshpande P, Notara M, Bullett N, Daniels JT, Haddow DB, MacNeil S (2009) Development of a surface modified contact lens for transfer of cultured limbal epithelial cells for ocular surface diseases. Tissue Eng Part A 15:2889–2902
Raeder S et al (2008) Effects of the size of explants on adhesion and outgrowth of ex vivo expanded limbal epithelial cells. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47, E-Abstract 5717
Steele JG, Johnson G, Griesser HJ, Underwood PA (1997) Mechanism of initial attachment of corneal epithelial cells to polymeric surfaces. Biomaterials 18:1541–1551
Liu L, Hartwig D, Harloff S, Herminghaus P, Wedel T, Geerling G (2005) An optimised protocol for the production of autologous serum eyedrops. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 243:706–714
Thomas L (1998) Labor und diagnose. indikation und Bewertung von laborbefunden für die medizinische diagnostik, 5th edn. TH-Books, Frankfurt/Main, p 1494
Dugrillon A et al (2002) Platelets applied to wounds and in tissue regeneration: induction of proliferation apoptosis by platelet membranes. In: Mempel W, Schramm W (eds) Infusion therapy and transfusion medicine. Kluwer Academic, Amsterdam, pp 70–71
Geerling G, Hartwig D (2005) Autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface disorders. In: Reinhard T, Larkin DFP (eds) Cornea and external eye disease. Springer, Berlin, pp 2–18
Geerling G, Maclennan S, Hartwig D (2004) Autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface disorders. Br J Ophthalmol 88:1467–1474
Green H, Kehinde O, Thomas J (1979) Growth of cultured human epidermal cells into multiple epithelia suitable for grafting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 76:5665–5668
Nakamura T, Ang LP, Rigby H, Sekiyama E, Inatomi T, Sotozono C et al (2006) The use of autologous serum in the development of corneal and oral epithelial equivalents in patients with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 47:909–916
Shahdadfar A, Haug K, Pathak M, Drolsum L, Olstad OK, Johnsen EO et al (2012) Ex Vivo expanded autologous limbal epithelial cells on amniotic membrane using a culture medium with human serum as single supplement. Exp Eye Res 97:1–9
Ban Y, Cooper LJ, Fullwood NJ, Tsuzuki M, Koizumi N, Dota A et al (2003) Comparison of ultrastructure, tight junction-related protein expression and barrier function of human corneal epithelial cells cultivated on amniotic membrane with and without air-lifting. Exp Eye Res 76:735–743
Ghoubay-Benallaoua D, Basli E, Goldschmidt P, Pecha F, Chaumail C, Laroche L et al (2011) Human epithelial cell cultures from superficial limbal explants. Mol Vis 17:341–354
D’Ippolito G, Diabira S, Howard GA, Roos BA, Schiller PC (2006) Low oxygen tension inhibits osteogenic differentiation and enhances stemness of human MIAMI cells. Bone 39:513–522
Cipolleschi MG, Dello SP, Olivotto M (1993) The role of hypoxia in the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells. Blood 82:2031–2037
Li C, Yin T, Dong N, Dong F, Fang X, Qu YL et al (2011) Oxygen tension affects terminal differentiation of corneal limbal epithelial cells. J Cell Physiol 226:2429–2437
Miyashita H, Higa K, Kato N, Kawakita T, Yoshida S, Tsubota K et al (2007) Hypoxia enhances the expansion of human limbal epithelial progenitor cells in vitro. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:3586–3593
Higa K, Shimazaki J (2008) Recent advances in cultivated epithelial transplantation. Cornea 27:S41–S47
O’Callaghan AR, Daniels JT, Mason C (2011) Effect of sub-atmospheric oxygen on the culture of rabbit limbal epithelial cells. Curr Eye Res 36:691–698
Zakaria N, Koppen C, Van Tendeloo V, Berneman Z, Hopkinson A, Tassignon MJ (2010) Standardized limbal epithelial stem cell graft generation and transplantation. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 16:921–927
Kawakita T, Espana EM, He H, Li W, Liu CY, Tseng SC (2005) Intrastromal invasion by limbal epithelial cells is mediated by epithelial-mesenchymal transition activated by air exposure. Am J Pathol 167:381–393
Chen B, Mi S, Wright B, Connon CJ (2010) Differentiation status of limbal epithelial cells cultured on intact and denuded amniotic membrane before and after air-lifting. Tissue Eng Part A 16:2721–2729
Li W, Hayashida Y, Chen YT, He H, Tseng DY, Alonso M et al (2008) Air exposure induced squamous metaplasia of human limbal epithelium. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 49:154–162
Kishida H, Kuroiwa Y (2007) Prevention of prion disease transmission. Nippon Rinsho 65:1454–1459
Raeder S, Utheim TP, Messelt E, Lyberg T (2010) The impact of de-epithelialization of the amniotic membrane matrix on morphology of cultured human limbal epithelial cells subject to eye bank storage. Cornea 29:439–445
Utheim TP, Raeder S, Utheim OA, de la Paz M, Raold B, Lyberg T (2009) Sterility control and long-term eye-bank storage of cultured human limbal epithelial cells for transplantation. Br J Ophthalmol 93:980–983
Raeder S, Utheim TP, Utheim OA, Nicolaissen B, Raold B, Cai Y et al (2007) Effects of organ culture and optisol-GS storage on structural integrity, phenotypes, and apoptosis in cultured corneal epithelium. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 48:5484–5493
Utheim TP et al (2009) Storage of cultured human limbal epithelial cells in Optisol-GS at 23 °C versus 5 °C. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50, E-Abstract 1778
Raeder S et al (2009) Genome-wide transcriptional analysis of cultured human limbal epithelial cells following hypothermic storage Optisol-GS. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 50, E-Abstract 1773/A441
Utheim TP et al (2011) Comparison of storage of cultured human limbal epithelial cells in HEPES-MEM, Optisol-GS and PAA Quantum 286 for 4 days at 23 °C. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52, E-Abstract 5124
Utheim TP et al (2012) Transportation simulations of cultured human limbal epithelial cells subjected to eye-bank storage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 53, E-Abstract 183
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Astrid Østerud at the Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Ingrid Riphagen at the Unit for Applied Clinical Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; Øygunn Aass Utheim and Jon Roger Eidet at the Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Borghild Roald at the Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Edward Messelt at the Institute of Oral Biology, Dental Faculty, University of Oslo, Norway for excellent help and support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Utheim, T.P., Lyberg, T., Ræder, S. (2013). The Culture of Limbal Epithelial Cells. In: Wright, B., Connon, C. (eds) Corneal Regenerative Medicine. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1014. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-432-6_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-432-6_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-431-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-432-6
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols