Bioengineering for Corneal Endothelium Regeneration: Biomaterial Scaffolds and Cell Culture Strategies for Clinical Translation

Corneal transplantation using donor tissue is currently the primary treatment for corneal endothelial insufficiency. Despite the potential for vision restoration through corneal transplantation, there is a shortage of corneal tissue donors around the world.

Tissue engineering offers a promising alternative to solve the problem of a lack of donors by allowing the development of a suitable engineered corneal endothelium by providing an adequate scaffold, from different biomaterials and production techniques and technologies, that supports the proliferation of corneal endothelial cells with appropriate morphology and density, while also possessing optical and mechanical properties similar to a human corneal endothelium to reproduce the standard surgical techniques for transplantation, such as Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK).

Despite these promising developments, translating research into clinical practice faces challenges, including bridging the gaps between preclinical research, technology transfer, and clinical implementation. During this talk, we will discuss biomaterials and cell culture strategies that address tissue engineering in this effort to overcome these barriers, with the aim of making the corneal regeneration strategy more accessible globally and improving visual health outcomes for patients.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss corneal endothelium regeneration strategies.
• Discuss biomaterials and cell culture approaches for corneal regeneration.
• Discuss the current challenges in tissue engineering for clinical translation.

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**This offer is available only to members of the Aspire Member Program in the US and Canada (excluding Quebec). Healthcare professionals are not eligible to participate in the Member Program. The Aspire program will award 500 bonus points for successfully attending this webinar. Determination of attendance will be at the sole discretion of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Please allow 10 business days for bonus points to credit to your account. Cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. All terms, conditions, and restrictions of the Aspire program apply. View them here.

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