Corneal Fibroblasts (CF)

Corneal fibroblasts (Corneal keratocytes) are specialized fibroblasts residing in the stroma. This corneal layer, representing about 85~90% of corneal thickness, is built up from highly regular collagenous lamellae and extracellular matrix components. Keratocytes play the major role in keeping it transparent, healing its wounds, and synthesizing its components. In the unperturbed cornea keratocytes stay dormant, coming into action after any kind of injury or inflammation. Some keratocytes underlying the site of injury, even a light one, undergo apoptosis immediately after the injury. Any glitch in the precisely orchestrated process of healing may cloud the cornea, while excessive keratocyte apoptosis may be a part of the pathological process in the degenerative corneal disorders such as keratoconus, and these considerations prompt the ongoing research into the function of these cells. Cultured keratocytes express functional IL-4Rs and IL-17R on the cell surface, suggesting that these cells may contribute to the role of IL-4 and IL-17 as mediators of allergic reactions in the cornea.