Assembly and Application of a Three-Dimensional Human Corneal Tissue Model.

Assembly and Application of a Three-Dimensional Human Corneal Tissue Model. Curr Protoc Toxicol. 2019 Sep;81(1):e84 Authors: McKay TB, Ford A, Wang S, Cairns DM, Parker RN, Deardorff PM, Ghezzi CE, Kaplan DL Abstract The cornea provides a functional barrier separating the outside environment from the intraocular environment, thereby protecting posterior segments of the eye from infection and damage. Pathological changes that compromise the structure or integrity of the cornea may occur as a result of injury or disease and can lead to debilitating effects on visual acuity. Over 10 million people worldwide are visually impaired or blind due to corneal opacity. Thus, physiologically relevant in vitro approaches to predict corneal toxicity of chemicals or effective treatments for disease prior to ocular exposure, as well as to study the corneal effects of systemic, chronic conditions, such as diabetes, are needed to reduce use of animal testing and accelerate therapeutic development. We have previously bioengineered an innervated corneal tissue model using silk protein scaffolds to recapitulate the structural and mechanical elements of the anterior cornea and to model the functional aspects of corneal sensation with the inclusion of epithelial, stromal, and neural components. The purpose of this unit is to provide a step-by-step guide for preparation, assembly, and application of this three-dimensional corneal tissue system to enable the...
Source: Current Protocols in Toxicology - Category: Toxicology Tags: Curr Protoc Toxicol Source Type: research