RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Poly-l/dl-lactic acid films functionalized with collagen IV as carrier substrata for corneal epithelial stem cells A1 De La Mata Sampedro, Ana A1 Mateos Timoneda, Miguel Ángel A1 Nieto Miguel, Teresa A1 Galindo de la Rosa, Sara A1 López Paniagua, Marina A1 Planell, Josep A. A1 Engel, Elisabeth A1 Calonge, Margarita K1 Corneal epithelium, collagen IV, limbal stem cells, polylactic acid, tissue engineering AB Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) are responsible for the renewal of corneal epithelium. Cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation is the current treatment of choice for restoring the loss or dysfunction of LESCs. To perform this procedure, a substratum is necessary for in vitro culturing of limbal epithelial cells and their subsequent transplantation onto the ocular surface. In this work, we evaluated poly-L/DL-lactic acid 70:30 (PLA) films functionalized with type IV collagen (col IV) as potential in vitro carrier substrata for LESCs. We first demonstrated that PLA-col IV films were biocompatible and suitable for the proliferation of human corneal epithelial cells. Subsequently, limbal epithelial cell suspensions, isolated from human limbal rings, were cultivated using culture medium that did not contain animal components. The cells adhered significantly faster to PLA-col IV films than to tissue culture plastic (TCP). The mRNA expression levels for the LESC specific markers, K15, P63α and ABCG2 were similar or greater (significantly in the case of K15) in limbal epithelial cells cultured on PLA-col IV films than limbal epithelial cells cultured on TCP. The percentage of cells expressing the corneal (K3, K12) and the LESC (P63α, ABCG2) specific markers was similar for both substrata. These results suggest that the PLA-col IV films promoted LESC attachment and helped to maintain their undifferentiated stem cell phenotype. Consequently, these substrata offer an alternative for the transplantation of limbal cells onto the ocular surface. PB Elsevier SN 0927-7765 YR 2019 FD 2019 LK http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/40348 UL http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/40348 LA eng NO Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces: 2019. 177: 121-129 DS UVaDOC RD 09-nov-2024