ArticleThe ocular surface2021
Single-cell transcriptomics identifies limbal stem cell population and cell types mapping its differentiation trajectory in limbal basal epithelium of human cornea.
Article in The ocular surface, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 74 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
74 citing papers in PubMed, 111 citations in OpenAlex.
- Long-Read Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Dynamic Isoform Changes During Corneal Epithelial Wound Healing in Cynomolgus Monkeys.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2026Article
- Article
- Lactate-fueled H3K18 lactylation sustains ΔNp63α-dependent self-renewal in limbal epithelial stem cells.The Journal of biological chemistry · 2026Article
- Integrator subunit IntS11 orchestrates the temporal dynamics of neural lineage progression in Drosophila.Cell & bioscience · 2026Article
- In situ spatial transcriptomics reveals novel markers of the limbal stem cell niche and ocular surface epithelia.Stem cell reports · 2026Article
- Single cell RNA-seq characterization of non-fibrotic stromal wound repopulation in the rabbit.Experimental eye research · 2026Article
- DNER as a novel protein contributes to HSCR pathogenesis: multi-omics combined Mendelian randomization analysis.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Article
- Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells in Review: Immune and Lymphangiogenic Privilege and Their Clinical Relevance.Cells · 2026Review
- Single-cell profiling unveils key regulators of skeletal stem cells in chicken and human embryonic limb development.PloS one · 2026Article
- Comparative Transcriptomic Profiling of Corneal Compartments Using Single-Cell and Single-Nucleus Sequencing.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2025Article
- Single-cell analysis of heterogeneity and molecular changes in cultured corneal epithelial stem cells during serial passage.Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio) · 2025Article
- Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 stimulates basal cell proliferation and migration to maintain corneal epithelial homeostasis.Cell death discovery · 2025Article
- Prediction of cell states and key transcription factors of the human cornea through integrated single-cell omics analyses.PNAS nexus · 2025Article
- Examination of an iPSC model of human eye development reveals progressive emergence of critical embryonic cell types.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Developing stem cells for corneal disease: recent developments and future perspectives.Regenerative medicine · 2025Review
- Spatiotemporal single-cell analysis elucidates the cellular and molecular dynamics of human cornea aging.Genome medicine · 2025Article
- Recent Advances in Stem Cells of Corneal Epithelia.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2025Review
- Assessment of the toxic effect of benzalkonium chloride on human limbal stem cells.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Spatial Transcriptomic Atlas of Human Limbus and Vital Niche Microenvironment Regulating the Fate of Limbal Epithelial Stem Cells.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2025Article
14 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
14 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThis study aimed to uncover novel cell types in heterogenous basal limbus of human cornea for identifying LSC at single cell resolution.
methodsSingle cells of human limbal basal epithelium were isolated from young donor corneas. Single-cell RNA-Sequencing was performed using 10x Genomics platform, followed by clustering cell types through the graph-based visualization method UMAP and unbiased computational informatic analysis. Tissue RNA in situ hybridization with RNAscope, immunofluorescent staining and multiple functional assays were performed using human corneas and limbal epithelial culture models.
resultsSingle-cell transcriptomics of 16,360 limbal basal cells revealed 12 cell clusters belonging to three lineages. A smallest cluster (0.4% of total cells) was identified as LSCs based on their quiescent and undifferentiated states with enriched marker genes for putative epithelial stem cells. TSPAN7 and SOX17 are discovered and validated as new LSC markers based on their exclusive expression pattern and spatial localization in limbal basal epithelium by RNAscope and immunostaining, and functional role in cell growth and tissue regeneration models with RNA interference in cultures. Interestingly, five cell types/states mapping a developmental trajectory of LSC from quiescence to proliferation and differentiation are uncovered by Monocle3 and CytoTRACE pseudotime analysis. The transcription factor networks linking novel signaling pathways are revealed to maintain LSC stemness.
conclusionsThis human corneal scRNA-Seq identifies the LSC population and uncovers novel cell types mapping the differentiation trajectory in heterogenous limbal basal epithelium. The findings provide insight into LSC concept and lay the foundation for understanding the corneal homeostasis and diseases.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.