title: Comparative Analysis of Substrate-Free Cultured Oral Mucosal Epithelial Cell Sheets from Cells of Subjects with and without Stevens-Johnson Syndrome for Use in Ocular Surface Reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the regenerative potential of cultured oral mucosal epithelial cells sheets (COMECs) from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) subjects with those from non-SJS subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human oral mucosal epithelial cells from SJS and non-SJS subjects were cultured, and colony-forming efficiency (CFE), proliferative and migration potential, expression of cytokines/growth factors and stem cells were compared. COMECs from SJS and non-SJS subjects were transplanted into 12 limbal stem cell-deficient rabbits, and their regenerative potential was analyzed at 1 week after transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CFE (p>0.05, student's t test), cell proliferation potential (p>0.05, two-way ANOVA) and expression of the cytokeratins (K3, K4, K13, K19) in the oral mucosal epithelial cells from SJS subjects were similar to those of the cells from non-SJS subjects. The initial migratory potential of SJS cells was delayed compared to that of non-SJS cells (p <0.05, RM two-way ANOVA). The SJS cells expressed lower levels of EGF and higher levels of VEGF compared to that of non-SJS cells (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). In vivo transplanted SJS-COMECs showed similar expression of K3, K4, and K13, proliferation markers (Ki-67; p>0.05, Mann-Whitney U test), and stem cell markers (p63; p>0.05, Mann-Whitney U test) compared to non-SJS COMECs. The initial epithelial defects in vivo were larger in the eyes treated with SJS-COMECs on day 3 (p<0.01, RM two-way ANOVA), but no differences were observed by day 7 between SJS- and non-SJS-COMECs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that, aside from differences in migratory potential, oral mucosal epithelial cells from SJS and non-SJS subjects are comparable in their regeneration potential in treating limbal stem cell deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Cutigen Research Institute, Tego Science Inc., Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Laboratory of Corneal Regenerative Medicine and Ocular Immunology, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cutigen Research Institute, Tego Science Inc., Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Corneal Regenerative Medicine and Ocular Immunology, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Laboratory of Corneal Regenerative Medicine and Ocular Immunology, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Ryang
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: Cutigen Research Institute, Tego Science Inc., Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Saewha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Laboratory of Corneal Regenerative Medicine and Ocular Immunology, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mee Kum
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D013262:Stevens-Johnson Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007633:Keratins