Abstract
Limbal human cornea! epithelial cells cultured on collagen shields were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. Cornea! epithelial cells from the limbus were cultured on collagen shields. Ultrastructural properties of the reconstituted epithelium were examined by electron microscopy. After 3 weeeks, cornea! epithelial cells cultured on collagen shields were examinated by electron microscopy. Junctional complexes, desmosomes, tight junction, gap junctions, as well as focal formation of basal lamina and microprojections in superficial cells was observed in a similar way that in vivo findings. Human cornea! limbal epithelial cells cultured on collagen shields exhibit cellular and extracellular elements similar to the observed in vivo, suggesting that cultured cells on collagen carriers may serve for cornea! epithelial transplantation.
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References
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