Ferrari, GiulioNallasamy, NambiDowns, HeatherDana, RezaOaklander, Anne2018-01-102013Ferrari, Giulio, Nambi Nallasamy, Heather Downs, Reza Dana, and Anne Louise Oaklander. 2013. “Corneal Innervation as a Window to Peripheral Neuropathies.” Experimental Eye Research 113 (August): 148–150. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2013.05.016.0014-4835http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34627335The cornea receives the densest sensory innervation of the body, which is exclusively from small-fiber nociceptive (pain-sensing) neurons. These are similar to those in the skin of the legs, the standard location for neurodiagnostic skin biopsies used to diagnose small-fiber peripheral polyneuropathies. Many cancer chemotherapy agents cause dose-related, therapy-limiting, sensory-predominant polyneuropathy. Because corneal innervation can be detected noninvasively, it is a potential surrogate biomarker for skin biopsy measurements. Therefore, we compared hindpaw-skin and cornea innervation in mice treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Paclitaxel (0, 5, 10, or 20mg/kg) was administered to C57/Bl6 mice and peri-mortem cornea and skin biopsies were immunolabeled to reveal and permit quantitation of innervation. Both tissues demonstrated dose-dependent, highly correlated (r = 0.66) nerve fiber damage. These findings suggest that the quantification of corneal nerves may provide a useful surrogate marker for skin peripheral innervation.en-USJournal Article2017-09-0620142018-01-1010.1016/j.exer.2013.05.016