Identification of a primary stroma and novel endothelial cell projections in the developing human cornea

Feneck, Eleanor M., Lewis, Philip N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3353-0708 and Meek, Keith M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9948-7538 2020. Identification of a primary stroma and novel endothelial cell projections in the developing human cornea. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 61 (6) , 5. 10.1167/iovs.61.6.5

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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the initial events in the development of the human cornea, focusing on cell migration, and extracellular matrix synthesis and organization. To determine whether elastic fibers are present in the extracellular matrix during early human corneal development. Methods: Human corneas were collected from week 7 to week 17 of development. An elastic fiber-enhancing stain, tannic acid–uranyl acetate, was applied to all tissue. Three-dimensional serial block-face scanning electron microscopy combined with conventional transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze the corneal stroma. Results: An acellular collagenous primary stroma with an orthogonal arrangement of fibrils was identified in the central cornea from week 7 of corneal development. At week 7.5, mesenchymal cells migrated toward the central cornea and associated with the acellular collagenous matrix. Novel cell extensions from the endothelium were identified. Elastic fibers were found concentrated in the posterior peripheral corneal stroma from week 12 of corneal development. Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence of an acellular primary stroma in the early development of the embryonic human cornea. Cell extensions exist as part of a communication system and are hypothesized to assist in the migration of the mesenchymal cells and the development of the mature cornea. Elastic fibers identified in early corneal development may play an important role in establishing corneal shape.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Optometry and Vision Sciences
Additional Information:	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher:	Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
ISSN:	0146-0404
Funders:	MRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	3 September 2020
Date of Acceptance:	6 January 2020
Last Modified:	04 May 2023 03:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/134649

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