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TISSUE-SPECIFIC STEM CELLS

Derivation of Neurons with Functional Properties from Adult Limbal Epithelium: Implications in Autologous Cell Therapy for Photoreceptor Degeneration

^aDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and
^bDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska

Key Words. Stem cells • Limbal epithelium • Regeneration • Retina • Photoreceptor • Neurons

Correspondence: Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., 4044 Durham Research Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5540, Telephone: 402-559-4091, Fax: 402-559-3251, e-mail: iahmad{at}unmc.edu

Received September 5, 2007; accepted for publication December 19, 2007.
First published online in STEM CELLS EXPRESS   January 17, 2008.



The limbal epithelium (LE), a circular and narrow epithelium that separates cornea from conjunctiva, harbors stem cells/progenitors in its basal layer that regenerate cornea. We have previously demonstrated that cells in the basal LE, when removed from their niche and cultured in reduced bond morphogenetic protein signaling, acquire properties of neural progenitors. Here, we demonstrate that LE-derived neural progenitors generate neurons with functional properties and can be directly differentiated along rod photoreceptor lineage in vitro and in vivo. These observations posit the LE as a potential source of neural progenitors for autologous cell therapy to treat photoreceptor degeneration in age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.