Abstract
Human corneal endothelial cells have a limited ability to replicate in vivo and in vitro. Allograft transplantation becomes necessary when an accident or trauma results in excessive cell loss. The reconstruction of the cornea endothelium using autologous cell sources is a promising alternative option for therapeutic or in vitro drug testing applications. The native corneal endothelium rests on the Descemet’s membrane, which has nanotopographies of fibers and pores. The use of synthetic topographies mimics the native environment, and it is hypothesized that this can direct the behavior and growth of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) to resemble the corneal endothelium. In this study, HMVECs are cultivated on substrates with micron and nano-scaled pillar and well topographies. Closely packed HMVEC monolayers with polygonal cells and well-developed tight junctions were formed on the topographical substrates. Sodium/potassium (Na+/K+) adenine triphosphatase (ATPase) expression was enhanced on the microwells substrate, which also promotes microvilli formation, while more hexagonal-like cells are found on the micropillars samples. The data obtained suggests that the use of optimized surface patterning, in particular, the microtopographies, can induce HMVECs to adopt a more corneal endothelium-like morphology with similar barrier and pump functions. The mechanism involved in cell contact guidance by the specific topographical features will be of interest for future studies.
Highlights
The corneal endothelium is a cell monolayer located at the cornea posterior, separating the stroma from the fluid aqueous humor of the anterior chamber
This study has demonstrated that human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) respond differentially to PDMS substrates patterned with pillars and wells topographies of dimensions in the micro- and nano-range
Increased expression of Na+/K+ adenine triphosphatase (ATPase) and increase in microvilli density on the cell surface could be observed for the monolayers grown on all patterned substrates, though the results appeared the strongest on the micropillars and microwells
Summary
The corneal endothelium is a cell monolayer located at the cornea posterior, separating the stroma from the fluid aqueous humor of the anterior chamber. The reconstruction of the cornea endothelium from autologous cells as a tissue engineered replacement is a promising alternative for treatment and has potential for use as a cell model in in vitro ocular toxicology testing [4]. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) are considered and cultured as an alternative cell source for corneal endothelium replacement, because of the similarity in the. The transplantation of vascular endothelial cells as a corneal endothelium replacement in animal models has been previously reported with optimistic results, indicating their potential for use in clinical applications [17,18]. We hypothesized that micro- and nano-topographies of substrates can induce vascular endothelial cells to become corneal endothelial cell-like and could potentially be used for in vitro drug testing and the therapy of the corneal endothelium. The reconstructed monolayers were evaluated for cell morphology, proliferation, expression of corneal endothelial functional markers and microvilli formation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
