Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Feb 15;81(2-3):198-210.
doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.05.019. Epub 2009 May 27.

Corneal transparency: genesis, maintenance and dysfunction

Yureeda Qazi  1 , Gilbert Wong, Bryan Monson, Jack Stringham, Balamurali K Ambati
Affiliations
Review

Corneal transparency: genesis, maintenance and dysfunction

Yureeda Qazi et al. Brain Res Bull. .

Abstract

Optimal vision is contingent upon transparency of the cornea. Corneal neovascularization, trauma and, surgical procedures such as photorefractive keratectomy and graft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty can lead to corneal opacification. In this article we identify the underlying basis of corneal transparency and factors that compromise the integrity of the cornea. With evidence from work on animal models and clinical studies, we explore the molecular mechanisms of both corneal avascularity and its dysfunction. We also seek to review therapeutic regimens that can safely salvage and restore corneal transparency.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflict of interest: None of the authors have any conflict of interest, financial or otherwise, in the publication of this manuscript.

References

    1. The collaborative corneal transplantation studies (CCTS) Effectiveness of histocompatibility matching in high-risk corneal transplantation. The Collaborative Corneal Transplantation Studies Research Group. Arch Ophthalmol. 1992;110:1392–403. - PubMed
    1. Abbas A, Khan B, Feroze AH, Hyman GF. Thalidomide prevents donor corneal graft neovascularization in an alkali burn model of corneal angiogenesis. J Pak Med Assoc. 2002;52:476–82. - PubMed
    1. Amano S, Rohan R, Kuroki M, Tolentino M, Adamis AP. Requirement for vascular endothelial growth factor in wound- and inflammation-related corneal neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998;39:18–22. - PubMed
    1. Ambati BK, Anand A, Joussen AM, Kuziel WA, Adamis AP, Ambati J. Sustained inhibition of corneal neovascularization by genetic ablation of CCR5. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2003;44:590–3. - PubMed
    1. Ambati BK, Nozaki M, Singh N, Takeda A, Jani PD, Suthar T, Albuquerque RJ, Richter E, Sakurai E, Newcomb MT, Kleinman ME, Caldwell RB, Lin Q, Ogura Y, Orecchia A, Samuelson DA, Agnew DW, Leger J, Green WR, Mahasreshti PJ, Curiel DT, Kwan D, Marsh H, Ikeda S, Leiper LJ, Collinson JM, Bogdanovich S, Khurana TS, Shibuya M, Baldwin ME, Ferrara N, Gerber HP, De Falco S, Witta J, Baffi JZ, Raisler BJ, Ambati J. Corneal avascularity is due to soluble VEGF receptor-1. Nature. 2006;443:993–7. - PMC - PubMed

Substances