title: Cells from the adult corneal stroma can be reprogrammed to a neuron-like cell using exogenous growth factors.
abstract: Cells thought to be stem cells isolated from the cornea of the eye have been shown to exhibit neurogenic potential. We set out to uncover the identity and location of these cells within the cornea and to elucidate their neuronal protein and gene expression profile during the process of switching to a neuron-like cell. Here we report that every cell of the adult human and rat corneal stroma is capable of differentiating into a neuron-like cell when treated with neurogenic differentiation specifying growth factors. Furthermore, the expression of genes regulating neurogenesis and mature neuronal structure and function was increased. The switch from a corneal stromal cell to a neuron-like cell was also shown to occur in vivo in intact corneas of living rats. Our results clearly indicate that lineage specifying growth factors can affect changes in the protein and gene expression profiles of adult cells, suggesting that possibly many adult cell populations can be made to switch into another type of mature cell by simply modifying the growth factor environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: carol.greene@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Carol Ann
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chuan-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Cameron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Dasha E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Nelidova
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jing A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brebner
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGhee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sherwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Colin R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003319:Corneal Stroma / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Cell reprogramming; Cornea; Neuronal differentiation; Stroma