Functional Evaluation of Two Corneal Endothelial Cell-Based Therapies: Tissue-Engineered Construct and Cell Injection.

ABSTRACT: Restoration of vision due to corneal blindness from corneal endothelial dysfunction can be achieved via a corneal transplantation. However, global shortage of donor tissues has driven the development cell-based therapeutics. With the capacity to propagate regulatory compliant human corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs), this study evaluated the functionality of propagated CEnCs delivered via tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TE-EK) or corneal endothelial cell injection (CE-CI) within a rabbit model of bullous keratopathy. For animals with TE-EK grafts, central corneal thickness (CCT) increased to >1000 ?m post-operatively. Gradual thinning with improvements in corneal clarity was observed from week 1. CCT at week 3 was 484.3?±?73.7 ?m. In rabbits with CE-CI, corneal clarity was maintained throughout, and CCT at week 3 was 582.5?±?171.5 ?m. Control corneas remained significantly edematous throughout the study period compared to their respective experimental groups (p?

SUBMITTER: Peh GSL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6465252 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature