The keratocytes, or corneal fibroblasts, are highly specialized cells that are sandwiched between orthogonally arranged layers of collagen lamellae in the corneal stroma. They play a key role in maintaining the structure and transparency of the cornea, as they are the source of stromal collagen and proglycans. They also play important roles in corneal wound healing and tissue repair, and are known to undergo phenotypic transformations in wounds due to the influence of growth factors and cytokines. Under normal conditions, the keratocytes in the adult cornea are relatively quiescent cells. In the event of corneal injury or trauma, however, the keratocytes differentiate into active, synthesizing cells and rapidly replace damaged stromal matrix. Cultured human keratocytes express functional IL-4Rs and IL-17R on the cell surface, suggesting that these cells may contribute to the role of IL-4 and IL-17 as mediators of allergic reactions in the cornea. Changes in gene expression were observed in keratocytes after interleukin-1 treatment, which provides important insight into gene expression and suggests novel therapeutic targets for the control of corneal inflammation. RK from ScienCell Research Laboratories are isolated from CD® IGS rat cornea. RK are cryopreserved at passage one and delivered frozen. Each vial contains >5 x 105 cells in 1 ml volume. RK are characterized by fibroblast morphology and immunofluorescence with antibody specific to fibronectin. RK are negative for mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi. RK are guaranteed to further expand for 5 population doublings under the conditions provided by ScienCell Research Laboratories. Recommended Medium It is recommended to use Fibroblast Medium (FM, Cat. #2301) for culturing RK in vitro.