Implantation of acellular human corneal lenticules in the presence of keratocyte-like cells for safety and efficacy evaluations in an experimental animal study
Khosrow Jadidi1 *, Hossein Aghamollaei2 , Mahsa Fallah Tafti1 , Majid Kadkhodaie3 , Mohaddeseh Haddadi1 , Mohammadamin Farahani4
- Vision Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
- Chemical Injures Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (keratocytes). This study aimed to evaluate the safety of a remaining corneal stromal layer along with keratocyte-like cells in experimental rabbit eyes.
Methods: It was shown that keratocyte-imprinted substrates could turn human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) into keratocyte-like cells with similar features to primary keratocytes in our previous study.
In the present study, the lenticules were obtained from small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery. After that, keratocyte-like cells were trypsinized and seeded on decellularized lenticules. SMILE lenticules-keratocyte-like cells were then implanted into the corneal stromal tissue of eye rabbits. Three rabbits underwent a surgical procedure where a pocket was created in the cornea and decellularized SMILE lenticules containing keratocyte-like cells were implanted unilaterally. The samples were followed for 1, 2, and 3 months by slit-lamp and optical coherence microscopy. Finally, histopathologic evaluations were conducted after 3 months.
Results: No evidence of graft failure and rejection was observed during the following time points. The other side effects such as neovascularization, and microbial infections, were not observed. Moreover, increased thickness in the corneal stromal layer of rabbits was observed after implantation rather than before surgery, indicating the potential of functional keratocyte-like cells to produce collagen bundles.
Conclusion: In this study, the safety of SMILE lenticules containing keratocyte-like cells was indicated and can be suggested for the corneal stromal regeneration
