Cultivated Conjunctival Epithelial Transplantation for the treatment of ocular surface disease

Abstract

The use of bioengineered conjunctival equivalents represents a novel approach to replace diseased conjunctiva with healthy epithelium. Current methods used to bioengineer tissue-equivalents utilize serum-containing culture media and murine 3T3 feeder cells, with the attendant risks of transmission of zoonotic infection and xenograft rejection. We describe the development of a serum-free culture system for the in vitro propagation of conjunctival epithelial cells, as well as the development of a conjunctival tissue-equivalent with improved proliferative and structural properties, for improving graft-take and tissue regeneration. These cultivated conjunctival equivalents were used for the treatment of ocular surface disorders that required conjunctival excision and replacement. These findings have important clinical implications and are important for the development of a safe and effective bioengineered tissue-equivalent for clinical use, such as in the regeneration of the ocular surface in conditions where the normal conjunctiva is damaged or deficient.