title: Vitrified collagen-based conjunctival equivalent for ocular surface reconstruction.
abstract: The main functions of the conjunctiva, an essential part of the ocular surface, are to maintain the equilibrium of the tear film and to protect the eye. Upon injuries, the prerequisite to successful ocular surface repair is conjunctival reconstruction. Tissue engineering techniques, including transplantation of autografts, amniotic membranes and numerous synthetic/natural materials, have been developed. However, none of these strategies is completely satisfactory due to lack of goblet cell repopulation, poor mechanical properties or non-standardized preparation procedure. Here, we cultured conjunctival epithelial cells on vitrified collagen membranes and developed a tissue equivalent for repairing damaged conjunctiva. Optimized vitrified collagen has superior mechanical and optical properties to previous biomaterials for ocular surface application, and its unique fibrillar structure significantly benefited conjunctival epithelial cell growth and the phenotypic development in vitro. In a rabbit model, vitrified collagen greatly promoted conjunctival regeneration with rapid re-epithelization, sufficient repopulation of goblet cells and minimized fibrosis and wound contracture, proved by gene expression analyses and histological staining. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the potential suitability of utilizing vitrified collagen-based tissue equivalent in ocular surface reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China; Oculoplastics Division, Ocular and Orbital Trauma Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Huifang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Qiaozhi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Qiongyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: Jemin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China.
authors.forename: Xianqun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. Electronic address: jhe@bme.jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Elisseeff
authors.affiliation: Oculoplastics Division, Ocular and Orbital Trauma Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. Electronic address: mgrant@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D020397:Goblet Cells / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D058989:Vitrification
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003094:Collagen
keywords: Conjunctiva; Goblet cells; Ocular surface; Tissue engineering; Vitrified collagen