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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Francisco FigueiredoORCiD, Professor Majlinda LakoORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
© 2021Aniridia, a rare congenital disease, is often characterized by a progressive, pronounced limbal insufficiency and ocular surface pathology termed aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK). Due to the characteristics of AAK and its bilateral nature, clinical management is challenging and complicated by the multiple coexisting ocular and systemic morbidities in aniridia. Although it is primarily assumed that AAK originates from a congenital limbal stem cell deficiency, in recent years AAK and its pathogenesis has been questioned in the light of new evidence and a refined understanding of ocular development and the biology of limbal stem cells (LSCs) and their niche. Here, by consolidating and comparing the latest clinical and preclinical evidence, we discuss key unanswered questions regarding ocular developmental aspects crucial to AAK. We also highlight hypotheses on the potential role of LSCs and the ocular surface microenvironment in AAK. The insights thus gained lead to a greater appreciation for the role of developmental and cellular processes in the emergence of AAK. They also highlight areas for future research to enable a deeper understanding of aniridia, and thereby the potential to develop new treatments for this rare but blinding ocular surface disease.
Author(s): Latta L, Figueiredo FC, Ashery-Padan R, Collinson JM, Daniels J, Ferrari S, Szentmary N, Sola S, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Lako M, Xapelli S, Aberdam D, Lagali N
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Ocular Surface
Year: 2021
Volume: 22
Pages: 245-266
Print publication date: 01/10/2021
Online publication date: 11/09/2021
Acceptance date: 08/09/2021
ISSN (print): 1542-0124
ISSN (electronic): 1937-5913
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtos.2021.09.001
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtos.2021.09.001
