Biomimetic Air-Lifted Organ Culture System with a Protective Coverage Membrane for Full-Thickness Corneal Preservation

Effective storage and utilization of limited donor corneal resources are in high demand to alleviate the shortage of donor corneal tissue. Here, we designed a static air-lifted organ culture system equipped with a protective coverage membrane, namely, an air-lifted OC-P system, to provide a biomimetic physiological environment for full-thickness corneal preservation. The air-lifted OC-P system features a unique collagen-based protective coverage membrane that can offer a moist, oxygen-rich environment for corneal epithelium, produce an appropriate intraocular pressure onto the cornea by gravity, and facilitate the maintenance of the organ culture medium level for nutrient supply during corneal preservation. Compared with conventional submerged and air-lifted corneal preservation methods, the air-lifted OC-P system remarkably improved the overall quality of the preserved corneas. These preserved corneas not only exhibited superior controllability of corneal swelling and extraordinary maintenance of the morphology and viability of all three types of corneal cells (i.e., corneal epithelium, keratocytes, and endothelium) but also demonstrated optimal optical, thermal, and mechanical properties. This air-lifted OC-P system presents a biomimetic strategy that provides a static and efficient method to replicate the corneal natural conditions for corneal preservation effectively.