Tissue engineering of human cornea

Abstract

The cornea is a well-organized tissue composed of three cell types (epithelial, stromal and endothelial cells), each having an important role for its functionality. This chapter will address different tissue engineering approaches to the reconstruction of either partial or full-thickness living corneal substitutes that can be used either as in vitro models for woundhealing studies, or in vivo, eventually replacing the donor cornea for transplantation in humans. Isolation of the proper cells, followed by appropriate culture conditions, and assembly into a three-dimensional tissue construct, are the first steps required for producing a functional corneal substitute.