ABSTRACT
Severe loss of vision is a major disability, resulting in a signicant burden on society. Loss of vision can be caused by injury, disease, or aging of a specic tissue in the eye while other parts function as normal. There is, therefore, a role for regenerative medicine strategies to address the replacement of the damaged tissue. This chapter will evaluate the current position on the use of biomaterials and cells to treat conditions including ocular surface
CONTENTS
9.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 185 9.2 Structure of the Eye ................................................................................... 186 9.3 Ocular Stem Cells ...................................................................................... 189
9.3.1 Cornea and Conjunctiva ............................................................... 189 9.3.2 Lens .................................................................................................. 191 9.3.3 Retinal Complex ............................................................................. 191
9.4 Ocular Biomaterials ................................................................................... 192 9.5 Regenerative Medicine Approaches ........................................................ 192
9.5.1 Conjunctiva ..................................................................................... 192 9.5.2 Cornea ............................................................................................. 195
9.5.2.1 Corneal Epithelium ......................................................... 195 9.5.2.2 Corneal Endothelium ..................................................... 196 9.5.2.3 Full Thickness Ocular Surface Replacement .............. 197
9.5.3 Lens .................................................................................................. 198 9.5.4 Retinal Complex ............................................................................. 199
9.5.4.1 Neural Retina ..................................................................200 9.5.4.2 Retinal Pigment Epithelium .......................................... 203
9.6 Conclusion and Future Directions .......................................................... 207 References ............................................................................................................. 207
disorders, corneal disease, cataract, and age-related macular degeneration involving tissues of the conjunctiva, cornea, lens, and retinal complex, respectively. For each tissue, there is a need to optimize the properties of the biomaterials, the source of the cells, and the appropriate route to generate the replacement tissue. In some situations, it is necessary to culture the cells on a substrate in vitro for subsequent transplantation back into the eye, whereas in others, it may be possible to provide a scaffold for stem cells (SCs) within the eye to grow and repopulate a damaged area. The advantages and disadvantages of these different approaches and the optimization of the materials and cells will be discussed along with the potential for future developments in this area.
