EXPERIMENTAL REPAIR OF DEEP CORNEAL DEFECTS USING A BIO-CONSTRUCT COMPRISING A COLLAGEN TYPE I MATRIX LOADED WITH BUCCAL EPITHELIAL CELLS

The research objective was to study the reparative effects of the collagen type I bio-construct loaded with buccal epithelial cells, on the rabbit cornea after experimental keratectomy at various stages of treatment (on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, 3 0th days).Material and methods. The experiments were conducted on 20 rabbits of the Chinchilla breed that were operated on cornea of both eyes aiming to inflict epithelial and stromal cornea defects. The collagen-based bio-construct bearing buccal epithelial cells was placed over the cornea of the experimental eyes. The cornea of the control eyes was covered with smooth contact lens. After the surgery, a temporal blepharorrhaphy was performed and kept for 3 days. We studied macroand microscopic pattern of corneal regeneration at 3, 7, 14, and 30 days of experiment.Results. When using the collaged-based bio-construct containing buccal epithelial cells, the complete epithelialization of the corneal defect occurred at mean 7 days earlier compared to that in the control eyes. Thus, the offered bio-construct stimulated the cell migration and proliferation at early stages of treatment (3–7 days) reducing the inflammation activity.Conclusion. The bio-construct comprising a collagen type I matrix loaded with buccal epithelial cells can provide an effective treatment option for corneal defects.