Tissue Engineering in Ophthalmology: Regenerating the ocular surface using standardized, xeno-free, tissue-engineered conjunctival grafts for conjunctival reconstruction.

The conjunctiva is a thin membrane, which covers the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. It is essential that this membrane functions correctly as it plays an important role in the maintenance of a healthy ocular surface and the preservation of vision. In some ocular disorders, the conjunctiva is damaged resulting in excessive scarring leading to surface disorders such as severe dry eyes, eyelid distortions and even blindness. Current treatment strategies for conjunctival reconstruction include surgically removing the diseased tissue and placing a human amniotic membrane over the bare sclera to aid in tissue regeneration. However, at times, either due to the nature of the diseased environment or a lack of properly functioning conjunctival epithelial stem cells, there is aberrant wound healing with scar formation, worsening the outlook for ocular reconstruction. In this project, we address this issue by creating a cellularized conjunctival substitute that can be transplanted onto the ocular surface after debridement of diseased tissue. This substitute is expected to reduce/eliminate scar formation and facilitate regeneration by providing a functional conjunctival replacement, containing both mucin-producing goblet cells to stabilize the tear film as well as conjunctival epithelium to establish a barrier to infectious microbes. The human amniotic membrane will be investigated as a biological scaffold for cultivating the cellular grafts for this purpose.

Keywords:OPHTHALMOLOGY

Disciplines:Morphological sciences, Ophthalmology and optometry

Project type:Collaboration project