juxtacanalicular tissue cell
juxtacanalicular tissue cell
A trabecular meshwork cell of the juxtacanalicular tissue (JCT), characterized by a spindle-shaped, fibroblast-like morphology within a loose extracellular matrix immediately adjacent to Schlemm's canal. It expresses CHI3L1 (human and mouse) and ANGPTL7 (human), as well as smooth muscle actin for contractility. Unlike other trabecular meshwork cells, it does not form monolayers but exists in a loose network, regulating aqueous humor outflow resistance through continuous ECM remodelling, mechanotransduction, and formation of intracellular pores historically called giant vacuoles.