Fig 1: Subconjunctival injection of AREG−/− Treg exhibited less efficacy in treating moderate LSCD than WT TregModerate LSCD mouse models were made. TregKO and TregWT were isolated from spleens of AREG−/−(KO) and wild-type (WT) mice, respectively, and injected subconjunctivally into moderate LSCD mice at equal cell concentrations. The control group received an equivalent volume of PBS injection.(A and B) Corneal opacity was shown in representative bright-field images photographed by slit-lamp microscope and scored in the summary graphs.(C and D) Corneal epithelial defect was shown in representative fluorescein staining images. The areas of defect were normalized to day 0 as percentages of initial defect and summarized in the graph beside.(E and F) Representative optical coherence tomography (OCT) images displayed corneal thickness after injury. The summary of corneal thickness measurements is presented in the bar graphs.(G) Representative hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson’s Goldner (Masson) staining images of central corneas. Scale bar, 100 μm.(H) Representative images of the whole cornea (upper) and central cornea with spiral-shaped subbasal corneal nerves (lower) in different groups (β III tubulin, red). Scale bars, 500 μm (upper) or 200 μm (lower).(I) Statistical analysis of the nerve density in the central zone of the cornea.Data are presented as the mean ± SEM; ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001, ∗∗∗∗p < 0.0001; n = 6(B, D, and F) and 3(I).