RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Characterization and functional performance of a commercial human conjunctival epithelial cell line A1 García Posadas, Laura A1 Romero Castillo, Ismael A1 Katsinas, Nicolaos A1 Krstić, Luna A1 López García, Antonio A1 Diebold Luque, María Yolanda K1 Conjunctiva K1 Conjuntiva K1 Epithelium K1 Epitelio K1 Cell line K1 Línea celular K1 Ocular surface K1 Superficie ocular K1 3201.09 Oftalmología AB The conjunctiva is a complex tissue that covers the eye beginning at the corneal limbus and extending over the inner surfaces of the eyelids. Due to its important functions in maintaining the health of the ocular surface, adequate in vitro models of conjunctival structure and function are essential to understand its roll in different pathologies. Because there is scarcity of human conjunctival tissue that can be used in research, cell lines are often the only option for initial studies. An immortalized human conjunctival epithelial cell (IM-HConEpiC) line is now commercially available; however, it is not very well characterized. In this study, we have developed a new protocol to culture these cells without the use of collagen-coated culture surfaces, but with a defined cell culture medium. We characterized IM-HConEpiCs cultured under these conditions and corroborated that the cells maintained a conjunctival epithelial phenotype, including acidic and neutral mucins, junctional proteins E-cadherin and zonula occludens 1, and expression of CK8 and CK19, among others. In addition, we analyzed the response to oxidative stress and inflammatory stimuli and found that IM-HConEpiCs respond as expected for conjunctival epithelial tissue. For instance, cells exposed to oxidative stress increased the production of reactive oxygen species, and that increase was blocked in the presence of an antioxidant agent. In addition, after stimulation with TNF-α, IM-HConEpiCs significantly increased the production of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IP-10. Therefore, with this study we conclude that IM-HConEpiCs can be a useful tool in functional studies to determine the response of the conjunctiva to pathological conditions and/or to test new therapeutic strategies. PB Elsevier SN 0014-4835 YR 2022 FD 2022 LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/54576 UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/54576 LA eng NO Experimental Eye Research, 2022, vol. 223, 109220 NO Producción Científica DS UVaDOC RD 24-nov-2024