Stem cells derived from bone marrow and intrastromally injected into the corneas of mice can differentiate into keratocan-producing cells, according to an experimental study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati. Winston Whei-Yang Kao, PhD, and colleagues investigated whether bone marrow stem cells could differentiate into cells that expressed keratocan, a characteristic of corneal keratocytes. The study involved Kera-/- mice. Hongshan Liu, PhD, a research scientist in the university's ophthalmology department, presented their findings at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. The researchers found that, after 1 week, the abnormal corneas of animals injected with the stem...