Controlled cell proliferation on an electrochemically engineered collagen scaffold.
Therapies for corneal disease and injury often rely on artificial implants, but integrating cells into synthetic corneal materials remains a significant challenge. The electrochemically formed collagen-based matrix presented here is non-toxic to cells and controls the proliferation in the corneal fibroblasts seeded onto it. Histology and biomolecular studies show a behavior similar to corneal stromal cells in a native corneal environment. Not only is this result an important first step toward developing a more realistic, multi-component artificial cornea, but it also opens possibilities for using this matrix to control and contain the growth of cells in engineered tissues.
Division of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6 Canada. rgendron@mun.ca
Robert
R
Gendron
M Ramesh
MR
Kumar
Helene
H
Paradis
Darryl
D
Martin
Nhu
N
Ho
Danielle
D
Gardiner
S Erika F
SE
Merschrod
Kristin M
KM
Poduska
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
D015415:Biomarkers; D011137:Polystyrenes; D003094:Collagen