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 stem cell grafting, which is based on the corneal stem cell model. Methods: We describe the use of the amelogenin gene probe with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect surviving donor cells and report preliminary 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 techniques 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 present, We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches, which may have future clinical and experimental application.