A biomimetic human disease model of bacterial keratitis using a cornea-on-a-chip system

Bacterial keratitis is a common form of inflammation caused by the bacterial invasion of the corneal stroma after trauma. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe visual impairment or even blindness; therefore, timely medical intervention is imperative. Unfortunately, widespread misuse of antibiotics has led to the development of drug resistance. In recent years, organ-on-chips that integrate multiple cell co-cultures have extensive applications in fundamental research and drug screening. In this study, immortalized human corneal epithelial cells and primary human corneal fibroblasts were co-cultured on a porous polydimethylsiloxane membrane to create a cornea-on-a-chip model. The developed multilayer epithelium closely mimicked clinical conditions, demonstrating high structural resemblance and repeatability. By introducing a consistently defective epithelium and bacterial infection using the space-occupying method, we successfully established an in vitro model of bacterial keratitis using S. aureus. We validate this model by evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics, such as levofloxacin, tobramycin, and chloramphenicol, through simultaneously observing the reactions of bacteria and the two cell types to these antibiotics. Our study has revealed the barrier function of epithelium of the model and differentiated efficacy of three drugs in terms of bactericidal activity, reducing cellular apoptosis, and mitigating scar formation. Altogether, the cornea on chip enables the assessment of ocular antibiotics, distinguishing the impact on corneal cells and structural integrity. This study introduced a biomimetic in vitro disease model to evaluate drug efficacy and provided significant insights into the extensive effects of antibiotics on diverse cell populations within the cornea.