The corneal endothelium (CE) is vital for the cornea to maintain its transparency. However, CE dysfunction occurs due to aging, intraocular surgery, trauma, dystrophy, etc. Corneal transplantation is the only method to clinically treat CE dysfunction; however, this treatment strategy faces the disadvantages of a global cornea shortage, graft failure, and severe side effects. There is a recognized need for a substitute for the CE. Stem cells are becoming increasingly common for the treatment of human diseases. In fact, several studies have documented the induction of corneal endothelial-like cells (CECs) from stem cells, but an ideal procedure has not yet been established. Thus, this study aimed at exploring a more efficient and robust differentiation method. We used a modified approach to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into CECs. After the identification of differentiated CECs, the CECs were injected into the anterior chambers of the eyes of a rabbit model of bullous keratopathy. The rabbits were maintained in the eye-down position to ensure that the cells attached to the cornea. The results showed that corneal edema was alleviated in the rabbits injected with CECs compared with that in the rabbits belonging to the control group. This study extends the ability to differentiate iPSCs into CECs and provides a potential strategy for the treatment of reduced visual acuity caused by CE deficiency in the future.

中文翻译：

---

人诱导的多能干细胞衍生的角膜内皮样细胞促进大疱性角膜病兔模型中的角膜透明度

角膜内皮 (CE) 对于角膜保持其透明度至关重要。然而，CE功能障碍是由于衰老、眼内手术、外伤、营养不良等原因而发生的。角膜移植是临床治疗CE功能障碍的唯一方法；然而，这种治疗策略面临着全球角膜短缺、移植失败和严重副作用的缺点。有一个公认的需要替代 CE。干细胞在治疗人类疾病方面变得越来越普遍。事实上，一些研究已经记录了从干细胞中诱导角膜内皮样细胞 (CEC)，但尚未建立理想的程序。因此，本研究旨在探索一种更有效、更稳健的微分方法。我们使用改进的方法将诱导多能干细胞 (iPSC) 分化为 CEC。鉴别出分化的CECs后，将CECs注入兔大疱性角膜病变模型的眼前房。兔子保持在眼睛向下的位置，以确保细胞附着在角膜上。结果表明，与对照组相比，注射CECs的家兔角膜水肿有所减轻。该研究扩展了将 iPSCs 分化为 CECs 的能力，并为未来治疗由 CE 缺陷引起的视力下降提供了潜在的策略。兔子保持在眼睛向下的位置，以确保细胞附着在角膜上。结果表明，与对照组相比，注射CECs的家兔角膜水肿有所减轻。该研究扩展了将 iPSCs 分化为 CECs 的能力，并为未来治疗由 CE 缺陷引起的视力下降提供了潜在的策略。兔子保持在眼睛向下的位置，以确保细胞附着在角膜上。结果表明，与对照组相比，注射CECs的家兔角膜水肿有所减轻。该研究扩展了将 iPSCs 分化为 CECs 的能力，并为未来治疗由 CE 缺陷引起的视力下降提供了潜在的策略。