Freeze-thaw decellularization of the trabecular meshwork in an ex vivo eye perfusion model

The trabecular meshwork (TM) is the primary substrate of outflow resistance in glaucomatous eyes. Repopulating diseased TM with fresh, functional TM cells might be a viable therapeutic approach. Decellularized TM scaffolds have previously been produced by ablating cells with suicide gene therapy or saponin, which risks incomplete cell removal or dissolution of the extracellular matrix, respectively. We hypothesized that improved trabecular meshwork cell ablation would result from freeze-thaw cycles compared to chemical treatment.

We obtained 24 porcine eyes from a local abattoir, dissected and mounted them in an anterior segment perfusion within two hours of sacrifice. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded continuously by a pressure transducer system. After 72 h of IOP stabilization, eight eyes were assigned to freeze-thaw (F) ablation (-80 °C × 2), to 0.02% saponin (S) treatment, or the control group (C), respectively. The TM was transduced with an eGFP expressing feline immunodeficiency viral (FIV) vector and tracked via fluorescent microscopy to confirm ablation. Following treatment, the eyes were perfused with standard tissue culture media for 180 h. TM histology was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. TM viability was evaluated by a calcein AM/propidium iodide (PI) assay. The TM extracellular matrix was stained with Picro Sirius Red. We measured IOP and modeled it with a linear mixed effects model using a B-spline function of time with five degrees of freedom.

F and S experienced a similar IOP reduction of 30% from baseline (P = 0.64). IOP reduction of about 30% occurred in F within 24 h and in S within 48 h. Live visualization of eGFP demonstrated that F conferred a complete ablation of all TM cells and only a partial ablation in S. Histological analysis and Picro Sirius staining confirmed that no TM cells survived in F while the extracellular matrix remained. The viability assay showed very low PI and no calcein staining in F in contrast to many PI-labeled, dead TM cells and calcein-labeled viable TM cells in S.

We developed a rapid TM ablation method that uses cyclic freezing that is free of biological or chemical agents and able to produce a decellularized TM scaffold with preserved TM extracellular matrix in an organotypic perfusion culture.