Animal models of corneal endothelial dysfunction to facilitate development of novel therapies
- PMID: 34532408
- PMCID: PMC8421955
- DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-4389
Animal models of corneal endothelial dysfunction to facilitate development of novel therapies
Abstract
Progressive corneal endothelial disease eventually leads to corneal edema and vision loss due to the limited regenerative capacity of the corneal endothelium in vivo and is a major indication for corneal transplantation. Despite the relatively high success rate of corneal transplantation, there remains a pressing global clinical need to identify improved therapeutic strategies to address this debilitating condition. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of novel therapeutics, there is a growing demand for pre-clinical animal models of corneal endothelial dysfunction. In this review, experimentally induced, spontaneously occurring and genetically modified animal models of corneal endothelial dysfunction are described to assist researchers in making informed decisions regarding the selection of the most appropriate animal models to meet their research goals.
Keywords: Corneal endothelium; corneal endothelial disease; corneal endothelial injury; fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy; pre-clinical animal models.
2021 Annals of Translational Medicine. All rights reserved.
Conflict of interest statement
Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/atm-20-4389). The series “Novel Tools and Therapies for Ocular Regeneration” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. CJM reports grants from National Eye Institute, and an unrestricted grant from the family of Claire Burns, during the conduct of the study. SMT reports grants from NEI, and an unrestricted grant from the family of Claire Burns, during the conduct of the study. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.
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