title: Current status of corneal xenotransplantation.
abstract: Corneal allo-transplantation is a well-established technique to treat corneal blindness. However, the limited availability of human donors demands the exploration of alternative treatments such as corneal xenotransplantation (e.g., pigs as donors) and bioengineered corneas. Since the first attempt of corneal xenotransplantation using a donor pig cornea in 1844, great advances have been made in the development of genetically-engineered pigs, effective immunosuppressive protocols and the establishment of guidelines for the conduction of clinical trials. We highlight immunological and physio-anatomical barriers of corneal xenotransplantation, recent progress of corneal xenotransplantation in non-human-primates studies, and regulatory guidelines to conduct clinical trials for corneal xenotransplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Laboratory of Ocular Regenerative Medicine and Immunology, Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea; Xenotransplantation Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: kmk9@snu.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Mee Kum
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D003315:Cornea / Q000276:immunology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D011323:Primates / Q000276:immunology; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous / Q000379:methods*; D019737:Transplants / Q000276:immunology
keywords: Clinical trial; Cornea; Guidelines; Nonhuman primate; Pig; Xenotransplantation