[Biomaterials or Donor Tissue - What is the Future of Tissue Engenieering for Cornea Reconstruction?]

[Biomaterials or Donor Tissue - What is the Future of Tissue Engenieering for Cornea Reconstruction?]
Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2017 Jun;234(6):758-762
Authors: Bachmann BO, Schrader S
Abstract
For the replacement of corneal tissue, corneal grafts or amniotic membrane are still used as a standard material. Since this is biological tissue, there is only a limited standardization regarding preparation, tissue properties and behaviour after transplantation. In addition, there is a risk of disease transmission, and the availability of both human corneas and amniotic membrane is insufficient in many regions of the world, which is why alternative biomaterials have been explored for many years now. Among the natural biomaterials, materials based on collagen or keratin provide characteristics that make them good candidates for corneal tissue replacement. However, there are still many unsolved problems, particularly regarding the degradation after implantation and the seam strength of the materials. Initial clinical studies with different biomaterials based on collagen prove their good biocompatibility to integrate and their low immunogenicity. Currently, there is no biomaterial that meets the requirements in every situation. It can be assumed that different biomaterials will be available in the future, which, depending on the underlying corneal disease, will fulfill different functions and thus make a patient- and disease-specific care possibl...

Source: Klinische Monatsblatter fur Augenheilkunde - June 7, 2017 Category: Opthalmology Tags: Klin Monbl Augenheilkd Source Type: research