Novel in vitro dynamic corneal model with online mechanical characterisation for pharmaceutical screening and tissue engineering applications

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The rabbit eye is frequently used to test new drugs or new therapies for corneal disease. One example of such as disease is keratoconus where the mechanical properties change over time. Concerns over the use of animals for eye research has been growing but efforts to replace these experiments with adequate tissue models have been lacking. To reduce or eliminate the use of animal models for understanding the biology and treatment of corneal disease, more physiologically relevant in vitro models must be developed. One feature of the cornea which is directly linked to some disease conditions is the mechanical integrity of the corneal stroma or tissue. However, to date, none of the 3D tissue models are able to assess or utilise the mechanical properties of the cornea as an outcome measure of drug testing in vitro. In this proposal, we propose to develop a novel on-line characterisation tool for mechanical properties, which can monitor viable tissue construction over time in a non-destructive and on-line manner under sterile conditions. This set up is part of new developments involving the establishment of a bioreactor for corneal tissue models which facilitates growth over a prolonged culture period. This novel methodology enables the mechanical property of the in vitro tissue to be used as a biomarker. After successfully establishing the methodologies, we shall use this in vitro model for the screening of pharmaceutical drugs and new therapies for keratoconus. Efficacy of drugs in our 3D models will be compared with existing data using animal models. Efficacy will be defined as maintained or improved mechanical integrity.