In vitro and clinical comparison of corneal grafts cultured in serum free medium or standard serum supplemented medium in patients with degeneration of the corneal endothelium

本项目旨在提供一种基于新开发的无血清培养基的角膜移植物体外培养替代方法的比较临床研究数据。对于患有Fuchs内皮营养不良或继发性内皮失代偿的患者，在无血清条件下培养的角膜移植物将与移植前和移植后12个月在补充血清培养基中培养的角膜移植物进行比较。这项研究的结果将通过引入无血清培养方法，潜在地影响目前供体角膜器官培养技术，使角膜移植物质量更好，培养周期更长，培养条件明确且可重复，消除疾病转移风险，并独立于世界市场上日益增长的高质量牛血清短缺。

This project is aimed at providing comparative clinical research data about an alternative method of in vitro cultivation of corneal grafts based on a newly developed serum free culture medium. Corneals grafts cultured under serum free conditions will be compared to corneal grafts cultured in a serum supplemented medium prior to and up to 12 months after transplantation in patients suffering from either Fuchs endothelial dystrophy or secondary endothelial decompensation. The results of this study will potentially influence the current technology of organ culturing of donor corneas by introducing a serum free culture method, allowing a better quality of corneal grafts, longer culture periods, defined and reproducible culturing conditions, eliminated risk if disease transfer and independence from the ever growing deficit of high quality bovine serum on the world market.