DO TRANSPLANTED CORNEAL LIMBAL STEM-CELLS SURVIVE IN-VIVO LONG-TERM -POSSIBLE TECHNIQUES TO DETECT DONOR CELL-SURVIVAL BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION WITH THE AMELOGENIN GENE AND Y-SPECIFIC PROBES

Purpose: To investigate donor cell survival following corneal limbal s tem cell grafting, which is based on the corneal stem cell model. Meth ods: We describe the use of the amelogenin gene probe with the polymer ase chain reaction (PCR) to detect surviving donor cells and report pr eliminary studies using Y-specific DNA probes, Results and conclusions DNA polymorphisms have a detection limit of 10%. The SRY 'Y-specific' probe has a theoretical detection limit of 1 cell in 10 000, The tech niques were applied to investigate survival of male donor cells in an aniridic female patient 2 1/2 years following limbal stem cell grafts, We speculate that low levels of donor-derived cells may still be pres ent, We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches , which may have future clinical and experimental application.