In vitro biomimetic platforms featuring a perfusion system and 3D spheroid culture promote the construction of tissue-engineered corneal endothelial layers.

ABSTRACT: Corneal endothelial cells (CECs) are very important for the maintenance of corneal transparency. However, in vitro, CECs display limited proliferation and loss of phenotype via endothelial to mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and cellular senescence. In this study, we demonstrate that continuous supplementary nutrition using a perfusion culture bioreactor and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid culture can be used to improve CEC expansion in culture and to construct a tissue-engineered CEC layer. Compared with static culture, perfusion-derived CECs exhibited an increased proliferative ability as well as formed close cell-cell contact junctions and numerous surface microvilli. We also demonstrated that the CEC spheroid culture significantly down-regulated gene expression of the proliferation mar

SUBMITTER: Li S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5429708 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature