High-resolution light microscopy of the limbal epithelial cell sheets in the 3D CC-BM culture. Limbal epithelial cell sheet and BMSCs on both sides of the PET membrane (A). Morphology of the limbal epithelial cell sheet (top of the PET membrane) (B). Possible cell-to cell contact between epithelial and BMSCs (arrow) (C). Quantitation of PET membrane pores with and without possible cell contact (D). Scale bar indicates a distance of 10 μm.
Abbreviations: BM, bone marrow stromal cells; Epi, epithelium; PET, polyethylene terephthalate.