{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T13:55:47Z","timestamp":1768312547691,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":95,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,4]],"date-time":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1693785600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000053","name":"National Eye Institute","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["EY028888"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EY028888"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000053","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigated the interplay between transforming growth factor beta (TGF-\u03b21\/T1 and TGF-\u03b23\/T3), and sex hormone receptors using our 3D in vitro cornea stroma model. Primary human corneal fibroblasts (HCFs) from healthy donors were plated in transwells at 106 cells\/well and cultured for four weeks. HCFs were supplemented with stable vitamin C (VitC) and stimulated with T1 or T3. 3D construct proteins were analyzed for the androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor alpha (ER\u03b1) and beta (ER\u03b2), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR), KiSS1-derived peptide receptor (KiSS1R\/GPR54), and follicle-stimulating hormone subunit beta (FSH-B). In female constructs, T1 significantly upregulated AR, PR, ER\u03b1, FSHR, GnRHR, and KiSS1R. In male constructs, T1 significantly downregulated FSHR and FSH-B and significantly upregulated ER\u03b1, ER\u03b2, and GnRHR. T3 caused significant upregulation in expressions PR, ER\u03b1, ER\u03b2, LHR, FSHR, and GNRHR in female constructs, and significant downregulation of AR, ER\u03b1, and FSHR in male constructs. Semi-quantitative Western blot findings present the interplay between sex hormone receptors and TGF-\u03b2 isoforms in the corneal stroma, which is influenced by sex as a biological variable (SABV). Additional studies are warranted to fully delineate their interactions and signaling mechanisms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms241713635","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,4]],"date-time":"2023-09-04T02:14:50Z","timestamp":1693793690000},"page":"13635","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Novel Correlation between TGF-\u03b21\/-\u03b23 and Hormone Receptors in the Human Corneal Stroma"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-3071-6747","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexander J.","family":"Choi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brenna S.","family":"Hefley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sarah E.","family":"Nicholas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rebecca L.","family":"Cunningham","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dimitrios","family":"Karamichos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"North Texas Eye Research Institute, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.preteyeres.2015.07.001","article-title":"Corneal structure and transparency","volume":"49","author":"Meek","year":"2015","journal-title":"Prog. 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