A Subset of Human Limbal Epithelial Cells With Greater Nucleus-to-Cytoplasm Ratio Expressing High Levels of p63 Possesses Slow-Cycling Property

Abstract

These results demonstrate that the small cells with large N/C ratio and high levels of p63 have BrdU label retaining slow-cycling property, thus confirming that these 2 parameters in combination may serve as a precise marker for identification and quantification of ex vivo-expanded limbal SCs. This method would be useful to standardize the optimal culture conditions that can maintain and expand SCs for therapeutic applications.