Construction of corneal epithelium with human amniotic epithelial cells and repair of limbal deficiency in rabbit models.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of a human amniotic epithelial cell (HAEC)-rabbit corneal stroma tissue-engineered cornea on ocular reconstruction in three different animal models. HAECs were isolated from human placenta, seeded onto rabbit corneal stroma. HAECs-rabbit corneal stroma tissue engineering cornea transplantation was examined in three distinct rabbit models: transplantation of cornea constructed (1) with lamellar corneal HAECs and rabbit corneal stroma, (2) with central corneal HAECs and rabbit corneal stroma, or (3) with full-thickness corneal HAECs and rabbit corneal stroma. In the tissue engineering corneal transplantation groups in all three models, the mean number of days to corneal epithelial healing was significantly shorter than that in the control group and the mean number of days to corneal neovascularization was significantly greater than in the control group. In addition, in the tissue engineering corneal transplantation groups in the central lamellar cornea model and the full-thickness corneal transplantation model neovascularization, corneal turbidity, and epithelial fluorescence were significantly less than in the control groups. HAECs can be induced to differentiate into corneal epithelial cells, which may be suitable for the reconstruction of the corneal epithelium in cases of limbal stem cell deficiency.