Elucidation of the migratory behaviour of the corneal endothelium

Abstract

The thesis focuses on the in vivo and in vitro behavior of corneal endothelial cells before and after endothelial keratoplasty. The first part of the project concentrates on the ECD decrease after DMEK and DMEK graft viability prior to transplantation. The second part focusses on regenerative strategies for the treatment of FECD by developing and applying in vitro cell migration assays. In vitro cell migration from DMEK grafts of various sizes and shapes are investigated in a 3D cell culture system aiming to identify critical parameters for the successful clinical application of corneal endothelial therapies.

Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplastyFuchs endothelial corneal dystrophyCorneal transplantationEndothelial cell densityCell viabilityCorneal clearancePeripheral endothelial cellsCell cultureGel matrixCell migration