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From left to right: Panteleimon Rompolas, MBA, PhD; Olivia Farrelly; Vivian Lee, MD.
COLLABORATION WITH DERMATOLOGY
elucidates stem cell behavior in cornea By Rebecca Salowe
A recent collaboration between the ophthalmology and dermatology departments at the University of Pennsylvania revealed new knowledge about the localization and function of stem cells in the cornea. This study, led by Panteleimon Rompolas, MBA, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, with collaborator Vivian Lee, MD, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, was published in Cell Stem Cell.
but are also activated in settings such as wound healing.”
The cornea, which is the transparent layer forming the front of the eye, can easily become scratched or injured. Though initially painful, these injuries—which typically affect a layer called the corneal epithelium—are able to heal remarkably quickly. “This replenishment and regeneration after injury is made possible by stem cells, which are residents in these tissues,” said Dr. Rompolas. “Stem cells not only replace cells as they naturally die off,
Dr. Rompolas previously investigated a similar question in skin, publishing a paper in Nature describing the biological behavior of cutaneous stem cells in vivo. “Given the similarities between the skin and eye epithelia, in terms of barrier function and histological organization, curiosity about corneal stem cells naturally arose between our groups,” he said.
Like many skin diseases, corneal diseases are often characterized by abnormal cell proliferation and differentiation, which are the inherent roles of stem cells. Thus, it is essential to understand how stem cells support these activities in a healthy cornea—and what conditions can cause their activity to go awry, leading to disease.
