Ex Vivo Corneal Organ Culture Model for Wound Healing Studies

This paper described a simple method for assaying wounding in a three-dimensional, multi-cellular organ culture model system. We do this by using pig eyes, but even if you are not familiar with eyes, you can do this assay. As an overview, we received porcine eyes, cut out the globes, make a circular wound in the cornea that goes through the epithelium and about one third of the stroma.

We cut out the cornea, and mount it on an Agar base, and put this construct in the incubator. The tissue will fill in creating a scar in the cornea. You don't need to add any growth factors, or even serum.