Corneal epithelial stem cells and their niche at a glance

The corneal epitheliumacts as a protective barrier on the anterior ocular surface and is essential for maintaining transparency of the cornea and thus visual acuity. During both homeostasis and repair, the corneal epithelium is maintained by self-renewing stem cells, which persist throughout the lifetime of the organism. Importantly, as in other selfrenewing tissues, the functional activity of corneal epithelial stem cells (CSCEs) is tightly regulated by the surrounding microenvironment, or niche, which provides a range of cues that maintain the stem cell population. ThisCell Science at aGlance article and the accompanying poster will therefore aim to summarise our current understanding of the corneal epithelial stem cell niche and its role in regulating stem cell activity during homeostasis, repair and disease.