Immortalized Human Corneal Fibroblasts (IHCF)

Tissue repair and wound healing in the cornea is accomplished mainly by the corneal fibroblasts, and these cells are responsible for pathological process in the degenerative corneal disorders such as keratoconus. Established using the HPV16 E6/E7 genes, The Immortalized Human Corneal Fibroblasts (IHCF) not only retains its authentic cell biomarkers (CD36, ECM protein collagen I and S100A4), it also displays fairly disomic cytogenetic status at chromosomes 1, 8, 10 and 18, which is an indication of normal diploid chromosomal status.

Together with the Immortalized Human Corneal Keratinocytes (T0579) and the Immortalized Human Corneal Endothelial cells (T0577) isolated from the same donor and immortalized using the same platform, this uniform model system presents a valuable tool for studies involving cornea homeostasis and ophthalmologic diseases.