In the UC Davis technique, the corneal stem cells are harvested from the patient's healthy eye or a donor. The tissue is separated and then grown in laboratory dishes, where the stemcells produce a fragile film of corneal cells just one cell thick. Scientists transfer the corneal cells, including the surviving stem cells, to the surface of a matrix of sterile amniotic membrane . Some cells also can be frozen and banked for possible later use. On the matrix, the corneal cells grow into a layer 5 to 10 cells thick, forming a sturdy composite tissue that combines the elasticity and resilience of amniotic membrane with the biological properties of corneal tissue. This bioengineered composite tissue is then stitched onto the patientÕs eye, after the abnormal corneal tissue has been removed.

Illustration provided courtesy of UC Davis Health System.

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