[Methods of preserving donor corneas]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Transplantation Biology
• Cryobiology

Background:

• Corneal transplantation is a highly successful allotransplantation procedure.
• Maintaining donor corneal tissue viability, particularly the endothelium, is crucial for penetrating and posterior keratoplasty outcomes.
• Current preservation methods include short-term moist chamber storage, medium-term hypothermia, long-term organ cultivation, and unlimited cryopreservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current landscape of corneal preservation techniques.
• To highlight the potential of cryopreservation for long-term storage of corneal tissue.
• To explore the relevance of cryopreservation methods for emerging keratoplasty techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on corneal preservation methods.
• Analysis of the advantages and limitations of different storage durations (short, medium, long-term, and unlimited).
• Focus on cryopreservation techniques, including those without cryoprotective agents.

Main Results:

• Cryopreservation offers unlimited storage duration for corneal grafts.
• Its application in penetrating keratoplasty is currently limited by complexity and stringent material requirements.
• Cryopreservation without cryoprotective agents is a promising approach for accumulating large material volumes rapidly with extended storage.
• Advancements in cryopreservation of the corneal endothelium could enable its use in penetrating and posterior keratoplasty.

Conclusions:

• Cryopreservation is a key area for research in corneal tissue preservation.
• Developing effective cryopreservation methods, especially for the corneal endothelium, is vital for future corneal transplantation.
• Innovations in cryopreservation align with the increasing use of layered grafts in keratoplasty.