Study identifies key molecule required for corneal differentiation

The cornea is unique in having high regenerative potential through its stem cells. Loss of stem cells due to injury or disease leads to corneal clouding and blindness. However, the mechanisms that lead to differentiation of corneal epithelial stem cells (also known as limbal stem cells) into clear corneal epithelium are not well understood. To improve the basic science understanding of the molecular pathways and cell subpopulations that give the cornea its regenerative potential, investigators at the Brigham, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Schepen’s Eye Institute employed a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing of ABCB5-expressing limbal stem cells, flow cytometry, and in situ immunofluorescence methods on corneal cells to analyze their molecular heterogeneity. Through this, they identified Basal Cell Adhesion Molecule (BCAM) as a novel marker for a highly proliferative subpopulation of stem and progenitor cells and discovered its control of corneal differentiation. Further research in this area may prove useful for future medical therapies of corneal disease.

“The cornea — our window to the world — has astounding regenerative properties,” said co-corresponding author Natasha Frank, MD, of the Division of Genetics. “Our study identifies a key population of proliferative cells and a definitive role for BCAM in mediating corneal differentiation.”

Read more in Cell Reports.