Microfabrication of an Artificial Bruch's Membrane for the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

摘要

A scaffold with well-defined, consistent pore size and shape was successfully produced using micro-fabrication and spin-assisted molding. RPE cells cultured on the scaffold formed a confluent, complete monolayer representative of what is found in vivo. In addition, pores in the scaffold were sufficiently small to prevent migration through the film, a favorable result for its potential in vivo use. These results suggest that this scaffold meets the initial design requirements of a sub-retinal implant for treating AMD, and therefore merits further exploration to elucidate the complex cellular interactions between the RPE and scaffold.