Collagen-immobilized poly(vinyl alcohol) as an artificial cornea scaffold that supports a stratified corneal epithelium.
The cornea is a transparent tissue of the eye, which is responsible for the refraction of incoming light. Both biological corneal equivalents and synthetic keratoprostheses have been developed to replace donor tissue as a means to restore vision. However, both designs have drawbacks in terms of stability and biocompatibility. Clinically available synthetic devices do not support an intact epithelium, which poses a risk of microbial infection or protrusion of the prosthesis. In the present study, type I collagen was immobilized onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA-COL) as a possible artificial cornea scaffold that can sustain a functional corneal epithelium. Human and rabbit corneal epithelial cells were air-lift cultured with 3T3 feeder fibroblasts to form a stratified epithelial layer on PVA-COL. The epithelial sheet expressed keratin 3/12 differentiation markers, the tight junction protein occludin, and had characteristic microvilli structures on transmission electron microscopy. Functionally, the stratified epithelium contained normal glycogen levels, and an apical tight-junction network was observed to exclude the diffusion of horseradish peroxidase. Furthermore, the epithelium-PVA-COL composite was suturable in the rabbit cornea, suggesting the possibility of using PVA-COL as a biocompatible material for keratoprosthesis.
Miyashita
Hideyuki
H
Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Dental College, Chiba, Japan.
Shimmura
Shigeto
S
Kobayashi
Hisatoshi
H
Taguchi
Tetsushi
T
Asano-Kato
Naoko
N
Uchino
Yuichi
Y
Kato
Masabumi
M
Shimazaki
Jun
J
Tanaka
Junzo
J
Tsubota
Kazuo
K
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D011817:Rabbits
D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D003094:Collagen