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Ex Vivo Organotypic Corneal Model of Acute Epithelial Herpes Simplex Virus Type I Infection
Published on: November 3, 2012
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Collagen Analogs Promote Tissue Regeneration in HSV-1-Infected Corneas in Animal Models
Oleksiy Buznyk1,2,3, Hamid Goodarzi4,5, Jaime Gómez Laguna6
1Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
Journal of Functional Biomaterials
|October 28, 2025
Summary
Synthetic corneal implants show promise for tissue regeneration in herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) models. While promoting cell repopulation, these cell-free implants did not prevent HSV-1 reactivation or re-infection, indicating further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomaterials Science
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK), caused by HSV-1, is a major cause of infectious corneal blindness.
- Current treatment involves human donor corneal transplantation, which carries risks of re-infection and immune rejection.
- Alternative strategies are needed to address the limitations of current HSK treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate cell-free, regeneration-stimulating corneal implants as an alternative to donor grafts for HSK.
- To assess the efficacy of synthetic collagen-like peptide-polyethylene glycol (CLP-PEG) implants in promoting corneal tissue regeneration under inflammatory conditions.
- To investigate the performance of these implants in animal models of HSK caused by different HSV-1 strains.
Main Methods:
- Development of cell-free corneal implants using synthetic CLP-PEG crosslinked with carbodiimide chemistry.
- Experimental induction of HSK in rabbit and guinea pig models using three different HSV-1 strains.
- Evaluation of implant performance through histopathological examination and assessment of tissue regeneration, haze, and neovascularization at three months post-operation.
Main Results:
- All treated corneas demonstrated tissue regeneration with neocorneal tissue repopulation by ingrowing cells, despite the inflammatory environment.
- The CLP-PEG implants did not prevent HSV-1 reactivation or re-infection, evidenced by neovascularization and disorganization within the regenerated tissue.
- Histopathological analysis indicated viral strain-specific differences in neovascularization, with KOS infection showing interspecies variations.
Conclusions:
- Cell-free CLP-PEG implants show potential for stimulating corneal tissue regeneration in HSK models.
- These synthetic implants can integrate and promote neocorneal formation in an inflammatory setting.
- Further research is warranted to optimize implant design and evaluate their long-term efficacy in preventing viral reactivation and improving outcomes in HSK treatment.
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01:28Herpes
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