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Growth of Human and Sheep Corneal Endothelial Cell Layers on Biomaterial Membranes
Published on: February 6, 2020
Bioengineered human corneal endothelium for transplantation
Jui-Yang Lai1, Ko-Hua Chen, Wen-Ming Hsu
1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|October 13, 2006
Summary
Bioengineered human corneal endothelial cell (HCEC) sheets, grown on special surfaces, show promise as functional tissue replacements. These cell sheets mimic natural corneal endothelium, offering a potential new therapy for vision loss due to endothelial damage.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Corneal endothelial dysfunction is a leading cause of blindness.
- Current treatments involve corneal transplantation, which faces donor scarcity.
- Bioengineering offers potential alternatives for corneal tissue replacement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate bioengineered human corneal endothelial cell (HCEC) monolayers as potential biological tissue equivalents.
- To assess the feasibility of using thermoresponsive culture supports for HCEC sheet generation.
- To determine if HCEC sheets can mimic native corneal endothelium structure and function.
Main Methods:
- Cultured adult HCECs on thermoresponsive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide-grafted surfaces for 3 weeks.
- Detached confluent HCEC sheets using a temperature shift from 37°C to 20°C.
- Assessed HCEC sheet viability, morphology, and in vitro characteristics via SEM, immunohistochemistry, and histology.
Main Results:
- Harvested HCEC sheets remained viable after thermal detachment.
- Sheets exhibited polygonal cell morphology with intercellular connections, mimicking native endothelium.
- Immunolocalization confirmed tight junction formation (zonula occludens-1) and Na+,K+-ATPase distribution, indicating functional cell boundaries.
- Cultured HCECs formed a monolayer architecture comparable to native corneal endothelium.
Conclusions:
- Bioengineered HCEC monolayers are a feasible option as functional tissue equivalents for replacing damaged corneal endothelium.
- This approach offers a potential new therapeutic strategy for corneal endothelial cell loss.
- Thermoresponsive supports facilitate the creation of organized and functional HCEC tissue.
