title: Cornea organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
abstract: The cornea is the transparent outermost surface of the eye, consisting of a stratified epithelium, a collagenous stroma and an innermost single-cell layered endothelium and providing 2/3 of the refractive power of the eye. Multiple diseases of the cornea arise from genetic defects where the ultimate phenotype can be influenced by cross talk between the cell types and the extracellular matrix. Cell culture modeling of diseases can benefit from cornea organoids that include multiple corneal cell types and extracellular matrices. Here we present human iPS cell-derived organoids through sequential rounds of differentiation programs. These organoids share features of the developing cornea, harboring three distinct cell types with expression of key epithelial, stromal and endothelial cell markers. Cornea organoid cultures provide a powerful 3D model system for investigating corneal developmental processes and their disruptions in diseased conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wahlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology &Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Sheila M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology &Physiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Birk
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Donald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zack
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.|Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.|Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Shukti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chakravarti
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009940:Organoids / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology