Subretinal Implantation of Electrospun, Short Nanowire, and Smooth Poly(𝜺-caprolactone) Scaffolds to the Subretinal Space of Porcine Eyes

Figure 1

Micrograph of hematoxylin and eosin stained porcine retina after subretinally implanted poly(ε-caprolactone) membranes (marked with arrows). Top: Poly(ε-caprolactone) Electrospun PCL-E) membrane. The left edge of the membrane has penetrated up through the outer retina. Mild choroidal neovascularization is seen under the membrane and a few RPE-cells have transformed to a macrophage morphology on the outer face of the membrane. Very little of the retina from the inner nuclear layer, and outward, is preserved and no photoreceptors are preserved. Middle: Poly(ε-caprolactone) Short Nanowire (PCL-SNW) membrane. A retinal fold is seen over the right end of the membrane taking up approximately 30% of the length of the membrane. All retinal layers left of the fold from neurofiber to outer nuclear layer are well-preserved giving approximately 70% well-preserved retina. Half the photoreceptor outer segments are flattened but still present. Bottom: Poly(ε-caprolactone) Smooth (PCL-S) membrane. Both membrane edges are perforated up through the outer retina. The inner membrane-supported retinal layers are well preserved. From the inner nuclear layer, the outer retina is more disrupted with preserved morphology in only approximately half the length of the membrane. The part of fattened but still present photoreceptor outer segments is even less than the rest of the outer retina. No sign of inflammation is seen in either of the micrographs. (* marks the vitreous body).