title: Lens epithelial cells promote regrowth of retinal ganglion cells in culture and in vivo.
abstract: Lens damage has been demonstrated to promote axonal regeneration of retinal ganglion cells. Various mechanisms associated with this enhancement have been proposed, including macrophage recruitment and stimulatory factors from the lesioned lens. Lens epithelial cells, which become activated as a result of injury, are another potential stimulus. A recent study of co-culturing lens epithelial cells adjacent to retinal explants without direct contact showed that neurites were attracted to grow towards them. We explored the ability of lens epithelial cells to act as a favorable substrate for ganglion cell axonal regeneration, by culturing retinal explants on top of a lens epithelial cell layer, as well as in vivo by transplanting freshly isolated lens epithelial cells to the cut optic nerve. Retinal explants cultured on lens epithelial cells regenerated more and longer neurites than those cultured on either an acellular substrate or a substrate of corneal cells, while lens epithelial cells transplanted to the optic nerve stimulated axons to regenerate in close association with them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wai Kai
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Anny W S
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Eric Y P
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D006224:Cricetinae; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D020221:Optic Nerve Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D038203:alpha-Crystallin B Chain; D002772:Cholera Toxin