Sphere-forming corneal cells repopulate dystrophic keratoconic stroma: Implications for potential therapy

Figure 6 Putative stem-cell marker tumour protein p63, transcript variant 1, N-terminal isoform and cell-proliferation marker 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine in cells within sphere-implanted-full-thickness tissue at day 10. A: Representative images of cross sections with spheres and cells derived from spheres implanted into full-thickness keratoconic and non-keratoconic central corneal buttons at day 10 show positive staining within the sphere for the putative stem cell marker tumour protein p63, transcript variant 1, N-terminal isoform (∆Np63α) (green); B: Cells stained without primary antibody (secondary antibody only control) show low green fluorescence. Cell nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue); C, D: Some, but not all cells show evidence of cell division (detected with ClickiT 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) (red), a cell proliferation marker), as shown by pink cell nuclei in superimposed images of DAPI and EdU staining (C) and its equivalent image with red signal only (D); E: A negative control (EdU incubation without processing with its reaction solution) imaged at the same signal intensity as D is shown superimposed on DAPI for comparison. Scale bar = 20 µm.