Cell migration in repair of mouse corneal epithelium.

The repair of wounds of the cornea made by removing the full thickness of epithelium was studied in mice, both in vivo and in organ cultures. Repair of wounds 1 to 1.4 mm diameter was complete in 12 to 16 hr. Elongated epithelial cells were arranged radially about the margins of these small circular wounds. In large, irregularly shaped wounds, the cells frequently lay with their long axes at a tangent to the wound margin. On cells with this...