Corneal Repair Models in Mice: Epithelial/Mechanical Versus Stromal/Chemical Injuries

The tissue response to injury is a complex process. The cornea is an excellent model for studying wound repair processes because of its simple anatomy, easy accessibility, and normal avascular state. Here, we describe two corneal repair models in mice: an epithelial/mechanical injury model and a stromal/chemical injury model. The two models induce different repair responses, and consequently enable the study of independent repair processes. Here, we describe how these two wound models may be used to study basic cellular and molecular mechanisms of corneal repair.