ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2025
Corneal Keratocytes, Fibroblasts, and Myofibroblasts Exhibit Distinct Transcriptional Profiles In Vitro.
Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Keratocyte Gene Expression Shaped by ECM Dimensionality: Evidence for Enhanced Quiescence in 3D Culture.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Emerging in vitro models of corneal stromal fibrosis: Toward human-relevant platforms for anti-scarring therapeutics.Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2026Review
- YTHDF1-Mediated m6A Modification of NREP Promotes Corneal Fibrosis via TGF-β-Smad Signaling.Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 2026Article
- Transmission Electron Microscopy Corneal Ultrastructure Study in Hematocornea of Corneal Transplant Graft.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Mitochondrial mGPDH Modulates Fibroblast Function in Diabetic Wound Healing via the SIRT1-c-Myc-TGF-β1 Axis.Diabetes · 2026Article
- Single cell RNA-seq characterization of non-fibrotic stromal wound repopulation in the rabbit.Experimental eye research · 2026Article
- Step-Ladder Bioprinting to Align Collagen Fibers for Anisotropic Tissue Fabrication.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2026Article
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Abstract
Purpose: After stromal injury to the cornea, the release of growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines promotes the activation of quiescent keratocytes into a migratory fibroblast and/or fibrotic myofibroblast phenotype. Persistence of the myofibroblast phenotype can lead to corneal fibrosis and scarring, which are leading causes of blindness worldwide. This study aims to establish comprehensive transcriptional profiles for cultured corneal keratocytes, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts to gain insights into the mechanisms through which these phenotypic changes occur. Methods: Primary rabbit corneal keratocytes were cultured in either defined serum-free (SF) media, fetal bovine serum (FBS) containing media, or SF media supplemented with TGF-β1 to induce keratocyte, fibroblast, or myofibroblast phenotypes, respectively. Bulk RNA sequencing followed by bioinformatic analyses was performed to identify significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and enriched biological pathways for each phenotype. Results: Genes commonly associated with keratocytes, fibroblasts, or myofibroblasts showed high relative expression in SF, FBS, or TGF-β1 culture conditions, respectively. Differential expression and functional analyses revealed novel DEGs for each cell type, as well as enriched pathways indicative of differences in proliferation, apoptosis, extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis, cell-ECM interactions, cytokine signaling, and cell mechanics. Conclusions: Overall, these data demonstrate distinct transcriptional differences among cultured corneal keratocytes, fibroblasts, and myofibroblasts. We have identified genes and signaling pathways that may play important roles in keratocyte differentiation, including many related to mechanotransduction and ECM biology. Our findings have revealed novel molecular markers for each cell type, as well as possible targets for modulating cell behavior and promoting physiological corneal wound healing.
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