Customized In Vivo Ocular Models ace

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- By Disease

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* Services of Interest: Customized Animal Models of Corneal Wound Healing
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* All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
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Customized Animal Models of Corneal Wound Healing

Ace Therapeutics is dedicated to the development of customized animal models of corneal injury, from reversible epithelial defects to deep stromal scarring. We support clients in the discovery and preclinical evaluation of ophthalmic therapeutics targeting corneal wound repair, fibrosis inhibition, and tissue regeneration, aligning model selection and endpoints with defined scientific objectives and translational strategies in corneal research.

Corneal Injury and Repair

Corneal injury disrupts the tightly organized epithelium, stroma, and endothelium, triggering a coordinated wound-healing response that can restore transparency or progress to fibrosis. Mechanical or chemical insult leads to epithelial loss, keratocyte apoptosis, and rapid recruitment of inflammatory cells, accompanied by cytokines and growth factors such as IL-1 and TGF-β. Surviving stromal cells proliferate and may differentiate into fibroblasts and myofibroblasts that remodel extracellular matrix, alter innervation, and determine whether the cornea regains transparency or develops persistent haze, scarring, and neovascularization. Preclinical corneal injury models that recapitulate these pathways provide a controlled framework to evaluate therapeutics targeting repair, fibrosis, and long-term tissue integrity.

Fig. 1. Cellular interplay in the process of corneal repair. Fig. 1. Cellular interactions during corneal repair. (Ljubimov AV and Saghizadeh M, 2015)

Explore Our Animal Models of Corneal Injury

We offer a range of validated animal models of corneal injury in mouse, rat, and rabbit that reflect different patterns and severities of damage, from transient epithelial defects to deep stromal involvement and scarring. These experimental models can serve as tools to evaluate small molecules, biologics, gene therapies, cell-based approaches, and novel delivery systems and formulations. For each model, our scientific team works with you to define key study parameters, including species selection, injury paradigm, study window, and fit-for-purpose endpoints such as imaging, histology, and biomarkers, aligned with specific objectives in preclinical corneal research.

Corneal Injury Animal Model Evaluation Services

In our animal models of corneal injury, we apply a range of readouts in preclinical corneal research to quantitatively assess wound closure, stromal remodeling, inflammation, and vascular responses.

Epithelial Wound Closure

Fluorescein staining and serial imaging to measure defect area, closure rate, and epithelial integrity over time.

Corneal Clarity and Stromal Haze

Slit-lamp imaging and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess opacity, stromal thickness, and surface regularity.

Inflammatory Cell Infiltration

Histology and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the magnitude and distribution of inflammatory responses.

Neovascularization

Imaging-based vessel scoring and flat-mount analysis to quantify the extent and pattern of corneal vascular ingrowth.

Molecular Biomarkers

Targeted qPCR or protein assays for key cytokines, chemokines, and matrix-related factors.

Ace Therapeutics supports a wide variety of preclinical corneal research needs, from early proof-of-concept to more comprehensive efficacy evaluation in corneal injury models. If you would like to discuss a potential study or learn more about our corneal injury platforms, please contact us.

References

Pan P, Chan MF. Corneal Repair Models in Mice: Epithelial/Mechanical Versus Stromal/Chemical Injuries. Methods Mol Biol. 2021; 2193: 149-158.
Wilson SE. Corneal wound healing. Exp Eye Res. 2020 Aug; 197: 108089.
Ljubimov AV, Saghizadeh M. Progress in corneal wound healing. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2015 Nov; 49: 17-45.

For Research Use Only.