| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥2,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,200,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Submacular surgery for the removal of choroidal neovasucularization in age related macular degeneration can improve or sstabilize vision in selected partients. However, the retinal pigment epithelium are frequently damaged and contribute to the poor visual outcome. Human amniotic membrane is thick basement membrane and has anti-adhesive properties and promote epithelialization and decrease inflammation, neovasucularization, and fibrosis. Amniotic membrane transplantation has been reported to be effective in the reconstruction of the ocular surface. Using rabbit model, we have investigated the reconstruction of retinal pigment epithelium following subretinal implantation of human amniotic membrane. The implantation of amniotic membrane was achieved using standard subretinal surgery and instrument. Weekly examination was performed and 1 to 4 weeks after implantation, rabbits were sacrificed for histological and immune histological study of CD4 and CD8. No evidence of inflammation, fibrin, retinal edema, retinal detachment was detected. The retina reattached over the amniotic membrane. Histological cvaluation revealed PE proliferation under the amniotic membrane in 2 weeks. However, PE proliferation did not observed over bare Bruch's membrane. The CD4 and CD8 positive cells were observed in 2 weeks, but decreased in 4 weeks. The tolerance of subretinal human amniotic membrane in rabbits showed both amniotic membrane and subretinal space are immune-privileged site. The amniotic membrane may serve as a useful replacement during submacular surgery.
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