Recently, the murine cornea has reemerged as a robust stem cell (SC) model, allowing individual SC tracing in living animals. The cornea has pioneered seminal discoveries in SC biology and regenerative medicine, from the first corneal transplantation in 1905 to the identification of limbal SCs and their transplantation to successfully restore vision in the early 1990s. Recent experiments have exposed unexpected properties attributed to SCs and progenitors and revealed flexibility in the differentiation program and a key role for the SC niche. Here, we discuss the limbal SC model and its broader relevance to other tissues, disease, and therapy.

最近，小鼠角膜作为强大的干细胞 (SC) 模型重新出现，允许在活体动物中进行个体 SC 追踪。从 1905 年首次角膜移植到 1990 年代初角膜缘 SC 的鉴定及其移植成功恢复视力，角膜在 SC 生物学和再生医学领域开创了开创性的发现。最近的实验揭示了 SC 和祖细胞的意想不到的特性，并揭示了分化程序的灵活性和 SC 生态位的关键作用。在这里，我们讨论角膜缘 SC 模型及其与其他组织、疾病和治疗的更广泛相关性。