Tissue engineering of the cornea

Over the years, there have been reports of tissue engineered (TE) corneas that range in complexity and functionality from materials and devices that are designed to restore solely the ocular function, to those that are designed to do this by integration with part or the full thickness of damaged or diseased corneas and promoting regeneration of the host tissue. TE lenticules are also being designed to be implanted into the cornea in order to alter the refractive properties of the eye, thereby improving vision. Beyond the need for vision restoration, there are other critical questions of bonding or integration with the host tissue and epithelial overgrowth to restore the cornea’s protective surface layer. Even more demanding, but very desirable, is the regeneration of innervation to restore touch and hydration sensitivity.