Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

Reconstruction and Regeneration of Corneal Endothelium: A Review on Current Methods and Future Aspects

Mohit Parekh, Valeria Graceffa, Marina Bertolin, Hossein Elbadawy, Gianni Salvalaio, Alessandro Ruzza, Davide Camposampiero, David Almarza Gomez, Vanessa Barbaro, Barbara Ferrari, Claudia Breda, Diego Ponzin and Stefano Ferrari

Corneal transplantation is a popular choice of treatment for many corneal disorders. However, the shortage in availability of donor tissues limits the amount of corneal transplantations around the globe. Continuous increase in the number of patients has boosted the need for clinical grade tissues or a reasonable substitute to overcome this issue. Alternatives include cell, tissue or bio-engineering, cell culture in vitro, the potential use of stem cells or other related therapies. There is a very rapid advancement in the field of endothelial keratoplasty as it has advantages being a less-sutured surgery with quicker rehabilitation and better post operative visual outcomes. Thus, to overcome the necessity of donor tissues for selective keratoplasty, the endothelial reconstruction or regeneration is currently studied. This review highlights recent advances in the isolation, culture, expansion of the corneal endothelium and the use of scaffolds or matrices to facilitate endothelial transplantation.