acellular corneal stroma

Acellular corneal stroma is a tissue-engineered biomaterial derived from the extracellular matrix of porcine (pig) corneas through processes that remove cellular components and inactivate viruses. The main component is collagen, which preserves the natural fiber structure and transparency of human cornea. It serves as a scaffold for host cell migration and integration when used as a graft in lamellar keratoplasty or other forms of corneal transplantation. Its primary mechanism is to provide physical coverage and support for regeneration by promoting epithelial healing and stromal matrix synthesis while maintaining low immunogenicity due to decellularization. Acellular porcine corneal stroma has been shown to be an effective alternative to human donor tissue for treating conditions such as infectious keratitis, deep stromal defects, descemetocele, perforations, and non-healing ulcers[4][5][6][7][9]. Clinical studies demonstrate good biocompatibility, mechanical stability similar to native human tissue, rapid epithelial recovery (typically within 1 week), low rates of rejection or infection with proper management, and restoration of visual acuity in most patients[4][7]. It can also serve as a carrier for cell-based therapies or endothelial sheet engineering[8].

Brand names

ACORNEABioCorneaVet

Other names

acellular porcine corneal stromaAPCSacellular corneal stroma matrix