Development of Transparent Collagen Fiber Scaffolds for Corneal Tissue Engineering

The cornea is a thin transparent tissue that protects the internal parts of the eye and refracts light onto the retina. Severe corneal damage can lead to irreversible scarring that prevents light from passing through the cornea, causing long-term vision loss. The best treatment for severe corneal damage is to transplant donor corneal tissue from a cadaver. Unfortunately, donor corneas are not always available when patients need them. Thus, many patients experience permanent vision loss while they wait for corneal transplantation. A treatment that does not rely on donor corneal tissue and that can be given immediately after corneal injury has potential to prevent scarring in these patients so that they do not lose their vision. This unmet clinical need will be addressed by a new biomaterial technology developed in the Frampton Lab capable of producing aligned collagen fibers that mimic the structure of the cornea. This collagen-based biomaterial textile will serve as a corneal patch for repairing corneal damage without the need for donor corneas. This project will seek to better understand the properties of collagen-based fibers that lead to a textile patch with high transparency to visible light.

Faculty Supervisor:

John Frampton

Student:

Partner:

HAN University of Applied Sciences

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: