
Advanced Eye In Vitro Model Fabricated Via Additive Manufacturing Techniques Combinations
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Due to its crucial role in vision, and thus in quality of life, new drugs and therapies able of treat eye pathologies that compromise the sense of sight are constantly under development. These studies are widely conducted on animals, but due to the difference between animals and humans only few models have a translational value to humans. This led to the development of several advanced eye in-vitro models in the past few years, that reached considerable results in terms of cell interaction, physiological and pathological mimicking capabilities. Nevertheless, there are several limitations and disadvantages that must be overcome, as the lack of controlled vascularization and multiscale interaction. In this work, we present an innovative eye in vitro model that combines additive manufacturing and standard fabrication techniques to overcome previous in vitro models limitations not already addressed. Our model includes a top part, mimicking the corneal stroma, and a bottom part, mimicking the blood retinal barrier. For studying retinal pathophysiology and testing drugs via several administration routes, it features a microfluidic network, bioinspired by human choroidal vasculature and obtained through laser engraving into a 15mm PDMS disc with channels 70-800µm wide. PLGA and gelatin were selected as materials for electrospun membranes to be fixed on the micro-vessel network and mimic healthy and pathological Bruch’s membrane. The assembled substrate is integrated into a PDMS culture chamber and inserted into a rigid holder 3D printed via stereolithography. On the top, a pierceable elecrospun gelatin-alginate membrane mimics the corneal stroma, that combined with the blood flow on the bottom opens the possibility of using standard administration techniques to analyse drugs behaviour in vitro. Results demonstrated successful endothelial cell attachment to the channels walls and confirmed the scaffold properties, with PLGA and gelatin replicating healthy and pathological conditions, respectively.