The corneal epithelium, originated from the surface ectoderm, is an avascular and transparent tissue composed of about 5-7 layers of nonkeratinized, stratified squamous epithelial cells. Corneal epithelial cells adhesion is maintained by desmosomes while the corneal epithelial basal cells attached to the underlying basal membrane through hemidesmosomes and anchoring system. Despite being a primary barrier to physical injury and infection, corneal epithelium is also important for ocular immune response, where cells recognize pathogens through toll-like receptor and recruit inflammatory cells into cornea by producing inflammatory cytokines and chemokine. Regeneration of corneal epithelium, supported by limbus stem cells, is an essential process for corneal maintenance or injury-induced repair.
Why Choose Human Corneal Epithelial Cells from AcceGen
AcceGen human corneal epithelial cells are isolated from human corneal tissue. Cells at passage 3 are collected and cryopreserved immediately. Each vial contains > 5×10^5 cells in 1 ml volume. All human corneal epithelial cells are tested negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV and other pathogens. Cells are characterized with antibodies specific to E-cadherin or ZO-1 by immunofluorescence. Human corneal epithelial cells are quality tested with cobble stone morphology and post-thaw viability and can be further cultured for 2-4 passages in media provided by AcceGen.
