[The research advance of small molecules inducing embryonic stem cells to differentiate into corneal epithelial-like cells].
Stem cells are becoming a hot topic of basic medicine and clinical research because of their wide self-renewal and differentiation potential in recent years. A number of small molecules that can be used to control stem cell self-renewal, lineage differentiation, reprogramming and regeneration could regulate stem cell fate quickly and reversibly. If small molecules could induce human embryonic stem cells to differentiate into corneal epithelial-like cells in vivo, corneal cell transplantation therapy will have unlimited source of corneal epithelium. More patients will obtain effective and timely treatment.(Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 230-235).
Department of Ophthalmology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
L M
LM
Qin
H
H
Chen
Y F
YF
Huang
D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D013234:Stem Cells
Cell differentiation; Corneal transplantation; Embryonic stem cells; Epithelial cells; Epithelium, corneal; Stem cell transplantation