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Video Clip. Procedure for Transplanting Sheets of Tissue-Engineered Autologous Epithelial Cells.
Preoperatively, the entire corneal surface is covered by conjunctival tissue with neovascularization. The conjunctival tissue is surgically removed to reexpose transparent corneal stroma. Then, the tissue-engineered epithelial-cell sheet fabricated from autologous oral mucosal epithelial cells is harvested from a temperature-responsive culture insert with the use of a doughnut-shaped supporter and is placed on the stromal bed. The cell sheet adheres to the corneal stroma in a few minutes without sutures, and the supporter is removed, leaving the cell sheet on the stroma. Finally, fluorescein sodium is applied to the corneal surface immediately after transplantation to show that the transplanted cell sheet, with tight junction-mediated barrier function, stably adheres to the entire corneal and limbal surface without any epithelial defects.
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