Arresting proliferation improves the cell identity of corneal endothelial cells in the New Zealand rabbit.

Purpose: Corneal endothelium engineering aims to reduce the tissue shortage for corneal grafts. We investigated the impact of mitogenic and resting culture systems on the identity of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) for tissue engineering purposes.

Methods: Rabbit CECs were cultured in growth factor-supplemented media (MitoM) until confluence.

Primary explant culture and collagen I substrate enhances corneal endothelial cell morphology.

Objectives: Corneal endothelial cell (CEC) isolation and harvest aim to produce engineered grafts to solve donor corneal tissue shortage. To yield high amounts of CEC maintaining morphological and molecular characteristics, several isolation and culture conditions are reported. Here, we combined direct explant culture, with three different coating conditions and a two-step media approach to compare confluence efficiency, morphology, and specific molecular markers expression.