Establishment of a Clinically Relevant Ex Vivo Mock Cataract Surgery Model for Investigating Epithelial Wound Repair in a Native Microenvironment

The overall goal of this procedure is to create a clinically relevant model where wound repair can be followed in its native microenvironment. This is accomplished by first removing the lens from the eye of a chicken embryo. The second step is to make a small incision in the anterior of the lens.

Then hydro elute the lens fiber cell mass. Next, the lens capsule with associated epithelium is flattened by making additional cuts in the anterior capsule. The final step is to secure the wounded culture to the tissue culture dish in order to follow wound healing as it occurs.