Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
KAFKAS UNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKULTESI DERGISI, cilt.20, sa.6, ss.909-914, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
Limbal epithelial stem cells are the source of regeneration of the corneal epithelium in normal and diseased conditions and it is proven that they are located at the area known as limbus. Maintaining avascularity and clearity of the cornea is a crucial role in homeostasis and integrity of the eye. This study focuses on cats and dogs limbal derived mesenchymal stem cells (LMSCs) differentiation potentials into keratinocytes for developing a culture model for corneal diseases. Limbus-derived mesenchymal stem cells were obtained from the limbus of terminated fetuses of the pregnant dogs (45 d) and cats (35 d). Explant cultures were allowed to grow in the culture medium untill 3rd passage. LMSCs differentiated into keratinocytes and allowed to grow into the decelularized amniotic membrane (AM) until three layer formation is maintained. Characterization was carried out by transition of cells from all three germ layers (osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic). Histology and immunohistochemistry was carried out with cytokeratin 19 (CK 19) and pancytokeratin detected in the cornea. Three lineage differentiation and keratinocyte transformation was succesfully maintained. Immunohistochemically LMSCs were confirmed for the cell surface markers and cells were positive for CD90, CD44 and CD49 and negative for CD45 and CD11b\c. LMSCs are potentially the native cells of the cornea and reconstruction of the cornea with these cells will have a better outcome.