Artificial cornea

A method for preparing an artificial mammalian cornea, which comprises the following steps:

• a) growing an endothelium which comprises primary or immortalized mammalian endothelium cells;
• b) optionally layering a Descemet's membrane on the endothelium;
• c) forming a stromal matrix on the endothelium or on the Descemet's membrane, if present;
• d) optionally layering a Bowman's membrane on the stromal matrix;
• and
• e) growing an epithelium, which comprises primary or immortalized mammalian epithelium cells, on the stromal matrix or on the Bowman's membrane, if present,
• wherein at least one of steps b) or d) must be present;
• or,
• a) growing an epithelium which comprises primary or immortalized mammalian epithelium cells;
• b) optionally layering a Bowman's membrane on the epithelium;
• c) forming a stromal matrix on the epithelium or on the Bowman's membrane, if present;
• d) optionally layering a Descemet's membrane on the stromal matrix;
• and
• e) growing an endothelium, which comprises primary or immortalized mammalian endothelium cells, on the stromal matrix or on the Descemet's membranes if present;
• wherein at least one of steps b) or d) must be present.

An artificial mammalian cornea which comprises:

• a) a crosslinked stromal matrix;
• b) Bowman's membrane;
• and
• c) Descemet's membrane.