Transplantation of Human Corneal Endothelial Cells Cultured on Bio-Engineered Collagen Vitrigel in a Rabbit Model of Corneal Endothelial Dysfunction

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of transplanting bioengineered corneal endothelial grafts in a rabbit model of corneal endothelial failure.

Methods: Human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) were seeded on a vitrigel carrier. After Descemet’s membrane was removed from the eyes of rabbits, transplantation was done with a vitrigel/HCEC graft or vitrigel alone without cells, or the eyes were left untreated. Slit lamp examinations and measurement of the central corneal thickness (CCT) were performed for 14 days postoperatively.

Results: HCECs cultured on vitrigel were strongly positive for ZO-1 and Na+/K+ ATPase. On day 14, the cornea showed mild edema and the pupil margins were visible through the grafts in the vitrigel/HCEC graft group. HCECs completely covered the grafts on day 14. In contrast, there was severe corneal edema and the pupil margins were undetectable on day 14 after transplantation of the vitrigel carrier alone or no transplantation. Proliferation of host cells was not observed in these groups. On day 14, the mean CCT was significantly thinner in the vitrigel/HCEC graft group than in the other two groups (p = 0.0008).

Conclusions: Transplantation of a vitrigel/HCEC graft was effective for reducing the corneal thickness and restoring corneal transparency, suggesting the usefulness of vitrigel as a carrier for corneal endothelial cells.

KEYWORDS:

• Artificial cornea
• collagen vitrigel
• corneal endothelial dysfunction
• corneal regenerative medicine
• endothelial keratoplasty

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Funding

This work received financial support from the Agri-Health Translational Research Project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan [grant No.6110 to T. Takezawa for vitrigel research and grant No.6220 to S. Amano for corneal research] and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 16K20307 to J. Yoshida.

Additional information

Funding

This work received financial support from the Agri-Health Translational Research Project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan [grant No.6110 to T. Takezawa for vitrigel research and grant No.6220 to S. Amano for corneal research] and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 16K20307 to J. Yoshida.