Immortalized human corneal epithelial cell line

Abstract

Immortalized human cornea). epithelial cell line capable of becoming stratified, and capable of expressing (1) metabolic markers specific for non-immortalized human epithelial cells such as vimentin, cytokeratins, connections between the cells, cytochrome P450s, a glutathione-S-transferase, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, aldehyde reductase and catalase; (2) metabolic differentiation markers specific for non-immortalized human cornea). epithelial cells such as the cytokeratin of 64 kfl, the glutathione-stransferase hGST 5.8, and the profile of cytokines and growth factors comprising the compounds TNFα, IL-1β, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, GM CSF-β, IL-ra, TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGFα, EGF, PDGF-β; (3) and markers specific for an inflammatory reaction such as collagenase I, the bradykinin, histamine and PAF receptors, and the system for transduction of an inflammatory signal by the phosphoinositides. Process for identifying the mutagenic, toxic or beneficial effect of an agent on the metabolism of the corneal cells, in which (1) an agent suspected of being a mutagenic, toxic or beneficial agent for the metabolism of the cells of the human cornea is reacted, cultured or brought into contact with a culture comprising a cell line according to the invention, and (2) the effects of the said agent on the said cell line are determined or measured.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.