Garzón, IngridChato-Astrain, JesusGonzález-Gallardo, CarmenIonescu, AnaCardona, Juan de la CruzMateu, MiguelCarda, CarmenPérez, María del MarMartín-Piedra, Miguel ÁngelAlaminos, Miguel2022-04-272022-04-272020-06-19Garzón I, Chato-Astrain J, González-Gallardo C, Ionescu A, Cardona JC, Mateu M, et al. Long-Term in vivo Evaluation of Orthotypical and Heterotypical Bioengineered Human Corneas. Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2020 Jun 19;8:681.http://hdl.handle.net/10668/3577Purpose: Human cornea substitutes generated by tissue engineering currently require limbal stem cells for the generation of orthotypical epithelial cell cultures. We recently reported that bioengineered corneas can be fabricated in vitro from a heterotypical source obtained from Wharton’s jelly in the human umbilical cord (HWJSC). Methods: Here, we generated a partial thickness cornea model based on plastic compression nanostructured fibrin-agarose biomaterials with cornea epithelial cells on top, as an orthotypical model (HOC), or with HWJSC, as a heterotypical model (HHC), and determined their potential in vivo usefulness by implantation in an animal model. Results: No major side effects were seen 3 and 12 months after implantation of either bioengineered partial cornea model in rabbit corneas. Clinical results determined by slit lamp and optical coherence tomography were positive after 12 months. Histological and immunohistochemical findings demonstrated that in vitro HOC and HHC had moderate levels of stromal and epithelial cell marker expression, whereas in vivo grafted corneas were more similar to control corneas. Conclusion: These results suggest that both models are potentially useful to treat diseases requiring anterior cornea replacement, and that HHC may be an efficient alternative to the use of HOC which circumvents the need to generate cornea epithelial cell cultures.enAtribución 4.0 Internacionalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Tissue engineeringBioengineered corneaWharton’s jelly stem cellsHeterotypical human corneaArtificial corneaIngeniería de tejidosCélulas madre mesenquimatosasCórneaMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Primates::Haplorhini::Catarrhini::Hominidae::HumansMedical Subject Headings::Technology and Food and Beverages::Technology, Industry, and Agriculture::Engineering::Bioengineering::Cell Engineering::Tissue EngineeringMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Cells::Connective Tissue Cells::Stromal Cells::Mesenchymal Stromal CellsMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Sense Organs::Eye::Anterior Eye Segment::CorneaMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Tissues::Connective Tissue::Wharton JellyMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Optical Imaging::Tomography, Optical::Tomography, Optical CoherenceMedical Subject Headings::Chemicals and Drugs::Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins::Proteins::Blood Proteins::FibrinMedical Subject Headings::Chemicals and Drugs::Carbohydrates::Polysaccharides::SepharoseMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::AnimalsMedical Subject Headings::Organisms::Eukaryota::Animals::Chordata::Vertebrates::Mammals::Lagomorpha::RabbitsMedical Subject Headings::Technology and Food and Beverages::Technology, Industry, and Agriculture::Manufactured Materials::Biomedical and Dental Materials::Biocompatible MaterialsMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Cells::Epithelial CellsMedical Subject Headings::Anatomy::Embryonic Structures::Fetus::Umbilical CordMedical Subject Headings::Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment::Investigative Techniques::Models, Animalresearch article32671048open access10.3389/fbioe.2020.006812296-4185PMC7327129