A proposed model of xeno-keratoplasty using 3D printing and decellularization

Abstract

Corneal opacity is a leading cause of vision impairment and suffering worldwide. Transplantation can effectively restore vision and reduce chronic discomfort. However, there is a considerable shortage of viable corneal graft tissues. Tissue engineering may address this issue by advancing xeno-keratoplasty as a viable alternative to conventional keratoplasty. In particular, livestock decellularization strategies offer the potential to generate bioartificial ocular prosthetics in sufficient supply to match existing and projected needs. To this end, we have examined the best practices and characterizations that have supported the current state-of-the-art driving preclinical and clinical applications. Identifying the challenges that delimit activities to supplement the donor corneal pool derived from acellular scaffolds allowed us to hypothesize a model for keratoprosthesis applications derived from livestock combining 3D printing and decellularization.

Focus on seed cells: stem cells in 3D bioprinting of corneal grafts

“…In contrast to keratoprosthesis, tissue engineered corneal grafts may be a better solution ( Tan DTH. et al, 2012 ; Wilson et al, 2013 ; Wang et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Keratoprosthesis has been used as a solution in clinical practice since the mid-20th century ( Zhang et al, 2019a ). However, postoperative complications, including the development of retroprosthetic membrane, glaucoma, retinal detachment, infectious endophthalmitis and choroidal detachment, may occur due to the material of corneal prosthesis and the complex surgical techniques ( Wang et al, 2023 ). Among these complications, retroprosthetic membrane due to immunological reaction to the foreign device is the most common complication ( Tan A. et al, 2012 ; Lee et al, 2017 ; Saeed et al, 2017 ; Park et al, 2020 ).…”