Unraveling the mechanobiology of cornea: From bench side to the clinic

Shu Yang, Jing Zhang, Youhua Tan, Yan Wang

Research output: Journal article publicationReview articleAcademic researchpeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The cornea is a transparent, dome-shaped structure on the front part of the eye that serves as a major optic element and a protector from the external environment. Recent evidence shows aberrant alterations of the corneal mechano-environment in development and progression of various corneal diseases. It is, thus, critical to understand how corneal cells sense and respond to mechanical signals in physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we summarize the corneal mechano-environment and discuss the impact of these mechanical cues on cellular functions from the bench side (in a laboratory research setting). From a clinical perspective, we comprehensively review the mechanical changes of corneal tissue in several cornea-related diseases, including keratoconus, myopia, and keratectasia, following refractive surgery. The findings from the bench side and clinic underscore the involvement of mechanical cues in corneal disorders, which may open a new avenue for development of novel therapeutic strategies by targeting corneal mechanics.

Original languageEnglish
Article number953590
JournalFrontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
Volume10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Oct 2022

Keywords

  • cornea
  • corneal diseases
  • mechanical cues
  • mechanobiology
  • mechanotransduction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Bioengineering
  • Histology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Unraveling the mechanobiology of cornea: From bench side to the clinic'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this