Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Department of Ophthalmology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Biomaterials. 2014 Apr;35(13):4005-14. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.01.033. Epub 2014 Feb 6.
Although one of the most transplanted tissues, a shortage of cadaveric corneas for transplantation still exists in the western society and elsewhere. The goal of this study was to develop a biological scaffold to support transfer of cultured human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) into the anterior chamber of the eye, potentially a replacement for cadaveric donor tissue. A series of transparent scaffolds were fabricated from gelatin and modified with heparin. Mechanical parameters of the scaffolds, such as stiffness, affected cell proliferation, phenotype and cell surface marker expression were determined. The heparin-modified scaffolds had a greater capacity to absorb basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and showed better release kinetics for up to 20 days. The release of bFGF from the scaffolds improved HCECs survival and reduced cellular loss. The scaffolds were flexible and could be folded and implanted in rabbits' eyes, through a small incision in the cornea. The scaffolds adhered to the inner surface of the corneal stroma and gradually integrated with the surrounding tissue. These results indicate that gelatin based corneal scaffolds modified to absorb and release growth factors and seeded with HCECs, might be a suitable alternative for cadaveric cornea transplantation.
尽管同种异体角膜是最常移植的组织之一，但在西方社会和其他地方，仍存在用于移植的尸体供体角膜短缺的问题。本研究的目的是开发一种生物支架，以将培养的人角膜内皮细胞（HCEC）转移到眼睛的前房，这可能是对尸体供体组织的替代。本研究从明胶中制备了一系列透明支架，并对其进行肝素修饰。确定了支架的机械参数，如硬度，这些参数影响细胞增殖、表型和细胞表面标志物的表达。肝素修饰的支架具有更大的能力来吸收碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bFGF），并在长达 20 天的时间内显示出更好的释放动力学。支架中 bFGF 的释放可提高 HCEC 的存活率并减少细胞损失。支架具有柔韧性，可以通过角膜上的小切口折叠并植入兔子的眼睛中。支架附着在角膜基质的内表面上，并逐渐与周围组织融合。这些结果表明，经过修饰以吸收和释放生长因子并种植 HCEC 的明胶基角膜支架可能是尸体角膜移植的合适替代品。
