title: Phenotypic alteration of limbal niche-associated limbal epithelial stem cell deficiency by ultraviolet-B exposure-induced phototoxicity in mice.
abstract: Good vision requires a healthy cornea, and a healthy cornea needs healthy stem cells. Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) are a traditional source of corneal epithelial cells and are recruited for the continuous production of epithelium without seizing throughout an animal's life, which maintains corneal transparency. Like the maintenance of other adult somatic stem cells, the maintenance of LESCs depends on the specific microenvironmental niche in which they reside. The purpose of this study was to determine the microenvironmental damage associated with LESCs fate due to ultraviolet (UV)-B exposure in a mouse model. Structural alteration and deregulation of the stem cell and its neighboring niche components were observed by using clinical, morphological, explant culture study, and flowcytometric analysis, which demonstrated that the limbal microenvironment plays an important role in cornea-related disease development. In UV-exposed mice, overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 indicated neovascularization, decreased CD38 expression signified the alteration of limbal epithelial superficial cells, and the loss of limbal stem cell marker p63 indicated limbal stem cell deficiency in the limbal vicinity. We concluded that LESC deficiency diseases (LESCDDs) are associated with pathophysiological changes in the LESC niche, with some inhibitory interception such as UV-B irradiation, which results in corneal defects.
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research and Application Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Medical Biotechnology, Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine, 108 C R Avenue, Kolkata-700073, India.
authors.forename: Prosun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Jacintha Archana
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Malay
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaklader
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Ketaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bagchi
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bhaduri
authors.forename: Samaresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Sujata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Law
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010641:Phenotype; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays