title: The preliminary experimental study of induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study preliminarily induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Murine embryonic stem cells were co-cultured with Rabbit limbal corneal epithelial cells in Transwell system to induce differentiation. Mophological and immunohistochemical examination were implemented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The induced cells from embryonic stem cells have an epithelial appearance. The cells formed a network and were confluent into film gradually after being co-cultured with rabbit limbal corneal epithelial cells for 24-96 hours. The cells ranged mosaic structure and localized together with clear rim. Most of the cells showed polygonal appearance. Transmission electron microscope showed lots of microvilli on the surface of induced cells and tight junctions between them. These epithelial-like cells expressed the corneal epithelial cell specific marker cytokeratin3/cytokeratin12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The potential mechanism of the differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells into corneal epithelial cells induced by limbal corneal epithelial cell-derived inducing activity is to be further verified.
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology*; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D011817:Rabbits; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*