Reproduced in the laboratory the conjunctiva of the human eye, that is the membrane that covers and protects the eyeball facilitating the sliding of the eyelid.
The result, which may accelerate the development of new treatments for dry eye, is published in the journal Cell Reports by researchers at the University of Osaka, Japan, who have succeeded in identifying the key proteins to guide the maturation of cells in the test tube. .
In their experiments they started from induced human pluripotent stem cells, that is, obtained by reprogramming adult cells and able to differentiate into every type of cell in the human body.
Thanks to these stem cells, researchers have produced a particular cluster of cells that mimics the development of the entire eye in a test tube.
By focusing their attention on the progenitor cells of the conjunctiva, they discovered that the EGF protein regulates its development, while the maturation is controlled by the KGF protein.
Once the conjunctiva in the test tube was obtained, the researchers showed that it is an excellent model to experiment with in the laboratory, because it works exactly like the real conjunctiva of the human eye: it contains in fact a sufficient quantity of particular cells (called 'chalice' ) which produce mucus to lubricate the tissue.
"These discoveries of ours - comment the authors of the study - will help us to better understand the biology of the conjunctiva and may favor the development of a model on which to test drugs and regenerative therapies to combat the effects of dry eye syndrome".