Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Purpose: We recently reported that the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA), which promotes inflammatory angiogenesis in other vascular beds, is an abundant component of the limbal extracellular matrix. Consequently, we have explored the possibility that HA contributes to lymphangiogenesis in the inflamed cornea. Methods: To study the role of HA on lymphangiogenesis, we used mice lacking the hyaluronan synthases and injury models that induce lymphangiogenesis. Results: Here we report that HA regulates corneal lymphangiogenesis, both during post-natal development and in response to adult corneal injury. Furthermore, we show that injury to the cornea by alkali burn upregulates both HA production and lymphangiogenesis and that these processes are ablated in HA synthase 2 deficient mice. Conclusion: These findings raise the possibility that therapeutic blockade of HA-mediated lymphangiogenesis might prevent the corneal scarring and rejection that frequently results from corneal transplantation.

Original publication

DOI

10.1167/iovs.18-25920

Type

Journal article

Journal

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Publication Date

01/03/2019

Volume

60

Pages

1050 - 1062

Keywords

Animals, Burns, Chemical, Cell Proliferation, Cell Survival, Endothelial Cells, Eye Burns, Hyaluronic Acid, Limbus Corneae, Lymphangiogenesis, Lymphatic Vessels, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Knockout, Mice, Transgenic, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sodium Hydroxide