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Corneal Tissue Engineering: An In Vitro Model of the Stromal-nerve Interactions of the Human Cornea
Published on: January 24, 2018
Fish scale collagen--a novel material for corneal tissue engineering.
Sasirekha Krishnan1, Santhanam Sekar, Mohammed Farhan Katheem
1SASTRA University, Sankara Nethralaya, Nungambakam, India.
Artificial Organs
|May 18, 2012
Summary
Fish scale collagen scaffolds show promise as a biocompatible alternative to human amniotic membrane for limbal stem cell transplantation. These novel scaffolds offer superior physical and culture characteristics for managing limbal stem cell deficiency.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomaterials Science
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) requires regenerative strategies, often utilizing human amniotic membrane (HAM) as a scaffold.
- Developing alternative, biocompatible scaffolds is crucial for improving LSCD management.
- Fish scale collagen (FSC) presents a novel, renewable source for biomaterial fabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the physicochemical, mechanical, and culture characteristics of fish scale collagen (FSC) scaffolds.
- To compare the performance of FSC scaffolds with denuded human amniotic membrane (HAM) for ex vivo limbal stem cell culture.
- To assess the potential of FSC as a substitute for HAM in corneal transplantation.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of biocompatible scaffolds using collagen extracted from fish scales.
- Characterization of FSC scaffolds, including swelling ratio, collagenase assay, and microbial resistance.
- Ex vivo culture of limbal stem cells on FSC and HAM scaffolds.
- Assessment of corneal cell characteristics using real-time polymerase chain reaction for stem cell markers.
- Microscopic evaluation of epithelial migration and cell confluency.
Main Results:
- FSC scaffolds demonstrated superior swelling ratio, collagenase resistance, and microbial resistance compared to HAM.
- FSC scaffolds exhibited adequate mechanical and physical strength for handling.
- Faster epithelial migration was observed on FSC scaffolds (48 hours) compared to HAM (72 hours).
- Achieved 90-100% confluent growth of limbal epithelial cells on FSC scaffolds by day 15, mimicking native limbal epithelium.
Conclusions:
- Fish scale collagen scaffolds are optically clear, possess sufficient strength, and exhibit promising culture characteristics.
- FSC scaffolds represent a viable, biocompatible alternative to HAM for ex vivo limbal stem cell culture.
- Further in vivo studies are warranted to explore the potential of FSC scaffolds for corneal transplantation in managing LSCD.
