Zeb1 mediates injury-induced mesenchymal transition in the mouse corneal endothelium in vivo

The authors investigate the role of Zeb1 in mediating injury-induced mesenchymal transition in the corneal endothelium and its contribution to fibrosis. They demonstrate that targeting Zeb1 through conditional knockout in a mouse model significantly inhibits the expression of mesenchymal transition-related genes and reduces corneal edema and retrocorneal membrane formation following injury. These findings suggest that ZEB1 signaling could be a potential therapeutic target for treating corneal blindness without the need for transplantation.