A Comparison of Lyophilized Amniotic Membrane with Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane for the Reconstruction of Rabbit Corneal Epithelium

• Published in: Biotechnology and bioprocess engineering Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 262 - 269
• Main Authors: Ahn Jae-Il, Jang In-Keun, Lee Doo-Hoon, Seo Young-Kwon, Yoon Hee-Hoon, Shin Youn-Ho, Kim Jae-Chan, Song Kye-Yong, Lee Hee-Gu, Yang Eun-Kyung, Kim Ki-Ho, Park Jung-Keung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 한국생물공학회 01.06.2005
• Subjects: 생물공학; epithelium; teflon ring; cornea; amniotic membrane
• ISSN: 1226-8372; 1976-3816

Many researchers have employed cryopreserved amniotic membrane (CAM) in the treatment of a severely damaged cornea, using corneal epithelial cells cultured on an amniotic membrane (AM). In this study, two Teflon rings were made for culturing the cells on the LAM and CAM, and were then used to support the AM, which is referred to in this paper as an Ahn's AM supporter. The primary corneal epithelial cells were obtained from the limbus, using an ex-plantation method. The corneal epithelium could be reconstructed by culturing the third­passage corneal epithelial cells on the AM. A lyophilized amniotic membrane (LAM) has a higher rate of graft take, a longer shelf life, is easier to store, and safer, due to gamma irradiation, than a (AM. The corneal epithelium reconstructed on the LAM and (AM, supported by the two­Teflon rings, was similar to normal corneal epithelium. However, the advantages of the LAM over that of the (AM make the former more useful. The reconstruction model of the corneal epithelium, using AM, is considered as a good in vitro model for transplantation of cornel epithelium into patients with a severely damaged cornea.