NEW BIOKERATOPROSTHETIC COMPLEX BASED ON MODIFIED ALLOGENIC DONOR CORNEAS AND CULTURED POSTNATAL HUMAN SKIN FIBROBLASTS

• Published in: Vestnik transplantologii i iskusstvennykh organov Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 67 - 72
• Main Authors: S. A. Borzenok, A. V. Vasilyev, A. V. Shipunova, E. B. Dashinimaev, Z. I. Moroz, Y. A. Komakh, E. V. Kovshun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs named after V.I.Shumakov 01-06-2011
• Subjects: corneal collagen crosslinking; keratoprosthetics; postnatal skin fibroblasts; tissue engineering construct
• ISSN: 1995-1191
• DOI: 10.15825/1995-1191-2011-3-67-72

The aim of the study was to develop biokeratoprosthetic complex based on cross-linking modified allogenic donor corneas and cultured postnatal human skin fibroblasts. Cross-linking enhances corneal strength and tole- rance to proteolytic enzymes. Fibroblasts’ proliferation and migration in the intrastromal pocket stimulates fiber syncytium formation and collagen microcarriers integration into the corneal stroma, as well as intercellular ma- trix formation around the prosthetic metallic plate as early as the cocultivation stage. A new biokeratoprosthetic complex has been successfully developed for further in vivo studies.