The corneal epithelium is continuously renewed by limbal stem/progenitor cells (LSCs), a
cell population harbored in a highly regulated niche located at the limbus. Dysfunction …

The cornea, as a dynamic and responsive tissue, constantly interacts with mechanical forces
in order to maintain its structural integrity, barrier function, transparency and refractive …

Whilst demonstrated extensively in vitro, the control of cell behaviour via modulation of
substrate compliance in live tissues has not been accomplished to date. Here we propose …

The cell fate decisions of stem cells (SCs) largely depend on signals from their
microenvironment (niche). However, very little is known about how biochemical niche cues …

There has been a drive to develop new cell based therapies to treat corneal blindness, one
of the most common causes of blindness worldwide. Mechanical and physical cues are …

The Drosophila corneal lens is entirely composed of chitin and other apical extracellular
matrix components, and it is not known how it acquires the biconvex shape that enables it to …

Lineage tracing allows the destiny of a stem cell (SC) and its progeny to be followed through
time. In order to track their long-term fate, SC must be permanently marked to discern their …

A new Brillouin spectro-microscope was designed and built to investigate the mechanical
properties of bovine and human corneas. This instrument integrates a single-stage virtually …

A functional limbal epithelial stem cells (LSC) niche is a vital element in the regular renewal
of the corneal epithelium by LSCs and maintenance of good vision. However, little is known …

The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye and plays an essential role in our visual system.
Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs), which are localized to a highly regulated limbal niche …