Introducing smart polymers in the field of corneal endothelial tissue engineering: solving a blinding disease

Eye diseases are responsible for a huge economical burden globally, but are also associated with a drastic decrease in quality of life. Some of these diseases are associated to the loss of transparency of the window of the eye, namely the cornea. The cornea is the outermost part of the eye and is composed out of 3 different cell layers. The innermost layer, the corneal endothelium, maintains critical corneal hydration. Upon ageing, disease or trauma, this cell layer can be damaged to such an extent that the cornea swells and loses its transparency, which leads to blindness. Currently, the only treatment consists of full or partial transplantation of a donor cornea. Unfortunately, the supply does not meet the demand by far since only 1 donor is available per 70 patients. To overcome this limitation, the present project aims to develop a synthetic alternative that allows the efficient transplantation of healthy cells towards the site of tissue defect. To this end, biodegradable membranes will be developed using a combination of smart polyesters with shape memory effects, in combination with gelatin derivatives that mimic the cellular environment. These carriers will be seeded with cells, to allow transplantation to the site of tissue defect. Furthermore, the membranes will be analysed in depth both for mechanical properties as in vitro behavior prior to in vivo animal studies. Ideally, at the end of the project, the developed membrane should be ready for clinical trials.

Keywords:EYE DISEASES

Disciplines:Ophthalmology

Project type:Collaboration project