ReviewAnnals of medicine2026
Corneal macrophages and limbal stem cells: emerging roles in ocular surface regeneration.
Review in Annals of medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Review
- When Macrophages Heal and When They Scar: Timing in Corneal Fibrosis.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- An Ang-1-releasing self-assembling peptide coating for inflammation modulation and suppression of smooth muscle proliferation.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Mechanistic domains in canine corneal ulcer progression: a conceptual framework for adjunctive management.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Review
- Subconjunctival Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Corneal Wound Healing After Chemical Injury: Impact on Epithelial Coverage, Limbal Ischemia, and Ocular Surface Inflammatory.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCorneal integrity and visual acuity rely on limbal stem cells (LSCs) and immune homeostasis. Macrophages, as critical immune regulators, are increasingly recognized for their roles in stem cell niche maintenance and tissue regeneration. Recent advances in human single-cell and spatial transcriptomic profiling have further revealed previously underappreciated macrophage heterogeneity, context-dependent activation states, and neuroimmune interactions within the limbal niche.
objectiveTo review current evidence on the localization, plasticity, and immuno-modulatory functions of corneal macrophages-with emphasis on human-derived insights, emerging neuroimmune mechanisms, and their interactions with LSCs during homeostasis and injury.
methodsThis narrative review integrates findings from the immunology, stem cell biology, and ophthalmology literature. It focuses on macrophage-derived cytokines, metabolic mediators, and microenvironmental cues that influence LSC behavior, and incorporates recent human single-cell, spatial transcriptomic, and regenerative immunology studies as well as therapeutic strategies modulating macrophage phenotype.
resultsMacrophages exhibit dynamic and spectrum-like polarization during corneal inflammation and repair, extending beyond the traditional M1/M2 dichotomy. Their secreted factors-including TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β, IL-10, and NO, and Arg1-derived metabolites-affect LSC proliferation, migration, and differentiation in a dose-, time-, and context-dependent manner. Therapeutic reprogramming of macrophages
conclusionMacrophages serve as pivotal modulators of the limbal niche. Targeting macrophage-stem cell crosstalk represents a promising avenue for restoring niche stability and preventing limbal stem cell deficiency. Future progress will rely on human single-cell atlases, immune microenvironment profiling, and macrophage-targeted immunoregenerative strategies.
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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.