In Vitro Evaluation and Transplantation of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells Cultured on Biocompatible Carriers.

ABSTRACT: Corneal transplantation is currently the only effective treatment option for dysfunctional corneal endothelial cells (CEC). In this study, we test in vitro the surgical potential of cultivated human corneal endothelial cells (hCEC) on human anterior lens capsule (HALC), LinkCell™ bioengineered collagen sheets of 20-µm thickness (LK20), and denuded Descemet membrane (dDM) as tissue-engineered grafts for Descemet membrane (DM) endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) to bypass the problem of donor tissue availability. Primary hCEC cultured on all carriers formed a monolayer of tightly packed cells with a high cell viability rate (96% ± 4%). hCEC on HALC and LK20 showed unremarkable expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Na⁺/K⁺-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), while

SUBMITTER: Spinozzi D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7586272 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature