Xenobiotic- and Serum-Free Culture of Oral Mucosal Epithelial Cells on Contact Lenses

• Purpose/aim: Cultured autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells (OMECs) have proven useful in the treatment of ocular surface disorders. This study is the first to investigate the potential of expanding OMEC in a xenobiotic- and serum-free medium using therapeutic contact lenses (CLs) as a substrate and carrier.Materials and methods: Porcine OMEC were seeded on laminin-coated lotrafilcon A therapeutic CLs with the density of 8x10(4)cells/lens and cultured in a defined serum and xenobiotic-free medium. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy was used to analyze the following: (1) cellular morphology by using rhodamine-phalloidin staining of F-actin, (2) phenotype by applying antibodies against the progenitor cell marker p63 and the putative stem cell marker ABCG2 and (3) cell viability by using propidium iodide and Hoechst 33342 dual staining.Results: Porcine OMEC attached well to the CLs, and cell-to-cell contacts were evident. After three days in culture, the OMEC displayed a confluent monolayer with uniform cobblestone morphology, whereas stratified cultures with 2-3 layers were formed after six days. No significant difference in expression of p63 was observed after three-day culture (79.414.8%) compared with six-day culture (60.3 +/- 18.9%). ABCG2 expression in the basal cell layer was 6.3 +/- 1.0% and 4.8 +/- 1.8% after three- and six-day culture, respectively. The basal layer viability of cultured OMECs was 99.3 +/- 0.2% and 82.8 +/- 1.1% after three and six days culture, respectively.Conclusions: The use of therapeutic CLs has potential as a substrate and carrier for OMEC cultured in a xenobiotic- and serum-free culture system.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Oftalmologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Ophthalmology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Cell culture

oral mucosa

contact lens

epithelial cells

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)