Ex vivo expansion of corneal endothelial cells enabled by small molecule inhibitors of LATS kinase

Introduction

Transplantation of expanded corneal endothelial cells (CECs) has been regarded as a promising approach for treating corneal diseases caused by CEC damage or dysfunction. However, an efficient method for expanding CECs remains inadequately established.

Methods

We examined whether small molecule inhibitors of large tumor suppressor kinase (LATS) promote the proliferation of CECs. We also evaluated the expression of functional markers in CECs treated with the inhibitors.

Results

We found that LATS kinase inhibitors enhance the cell density of bovine CECs ex vivo. CECs that were expanded in the presence of these inhibitors exhibited increased nuclear translocation of yes-associated protein (YAP) and upregulated expression of YAP-regulated genes. Furthermore, we observed that YAP was essential for promoting cell proliferation. Notably, the inhibitors also increased the density of primary human CECs. Expanded human CECs expressed CEC functional markers, including Na⁺/K⁺-transporting ATPase subunit alpha-1 (ATP1A1), Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and N-cadherin; they showed upregulated expression of YAP-regulated genes.

Conclusions

Collectively, these findings support the development of efficient culture techniques for CEC expansion and may facilitate the advancement of therapeutic strategies for CEC-associated diseases.