Fluid movements on cornea replicated for improved drug tests

The scientists at Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) hope their findings, reported in Lab on a Chip, will help improve ophthalmic drug development and testing, and advance understanding of how blinking affects the corneal surface.

“4D tissue” building technique creates self curving synthetic cornea

The cornea is a transparent disc covering central surface of the eye and it acts as a protective barrier against dust, germs, and other potentially damaging objects.

Scientists can test ophthalmic drugs by administering them into rabbit's eyes. Rabbits blink significantly less than humans, so drugs have more chance of permeating the rabbit's cornea and enter into the eye. Alternatively, scientists use tiny wells containing human corneal cells. But here also, the cells aren't exposed to the normal environment of a living human eye.

Kyoto University pharmaceutical scientist Rodi Abdalkader and micro-engineer Ken-ichiro Kamei collaborated to develop a device that overcomes these issues.