ABSTRACT
Fibrosis is the major cause of corneal scarring.Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) plays a key role in corneal homeostasis and repair.Corneal epithelial basement membrane is thought to be the important barrier of corneal epitheliumstroma interaction.In different stages of corneal wound healing,the isoforms of TGF-β have different temporal and spatial expression.The integrity of basement membrane is a critical factor of these procedures.The temporal and spatial distributions of TGF-β isoforms play the crucial roles in cell migration,proliferation,phenotype changes and deposition of extracellular matrix in corneal wound healing.It is the mechanism of corneal scarring and scar-free healing.This article reviews recent articles to elucidate the biological functions of TGF-β and the temporal and spatial distribution of its isoforms in corneal wound healing.