Fabrication of an artificial cornea as a potential alternative to corneal transplantation for veterinary clinical application

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15666
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 42020:Veterinary medical science-related
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: Tajima Kazuki 北里大学, 獣医学部, 助教 (50770393)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 角膜移植 / 脱細胞化 / 獣医療 / 小動物 / 人工角膜

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Kitasato University Veterinary Hospital has a large number of animal ophthalmology cases, and corneal diseases are very common. Although corneal diseases can be treated by corneal transplantation in humans, in the worst case scenario, a removal of eye ball may be required in dogs and cats because a corneal transplant cannot be performed in veterinary medicine. It is difficult to secure corneal donors in animals, and it is also difficult to establish infrastructure such as eye banks. In this study, we will attempt to create an artificial cornea by applying the technique of decellularization, a regenerative medicine technology. The transparency of the artificial cornea is currently a major issue, and the purpose of this research is to create an artificial cornea for animals that maintains transparency by establishing the causes and an evaluation system for the transparency.

Free Research Field

再生医療

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究によって角膜脱細胞化の手法が確立され、動物にこの人工角膜を応用する第一歩を踏み出すことができた。これにより今まで眼球摘出となっていた難治性角膜疾患の犬や猫に対し、眼球を摘出せずにこの人工角膜を使用可能となる未来が一歩現実のものとなった。