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

AbstractPurpose/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 8 × 104 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 w...