Wound healing in cultured corneal endothelial cells

Abstract

Following the application of needle, intraocular lens, freeze, and laser wounds to the center of discrete 1 cm2 areas, density-limited monolayers of cultured rabbit corneal endothelium demonstrate wound healing responses similar to those seen in in vivo corneas. The wounded monolayer reforms in a time period consistent with that seen in both in vivo and in vitro organ culture models, thus suggesting that cell motility characteristics are not dependent upon an underlying Descemet's membrane. Density-limited, cultured monolayers of corneal endothelial cells present a good model for studying the response of the endothelium to a variety of stimuli.