Животные модели для изучения кератоконуса

Keratoconus (KC) is a bilateral, asymmetric corneal disorder characterized by localized central thinning and cone-like protrusion of the cornea. Symptoms of KC begin to develop during puberty and young adulthood [¹]. The human cornea is divided into five distinct layers and is responsible for protecting ocular structures, the refractive power of the eye, and focusing light on the retina [²]. A progressive and degradative disorder, KC presents as irregular astigmatism, myopia, and corneal scarring, which worsen over time and can result in vision loss [³]. At the tissue level, KC is marked by centralized thinning of the stroma, breaks in Bowman’s layer, compaction of the collagen fibers in the stroma, and iron deposition in the epithelial basement membrane [¹,⁴,⁵,⁶,⁷]. All five layers of the cornea may be affected by KC pathogenesis, but the characteristics mentioned are well-recognized markers of KC [¹]. In addition, the epithelium may exhibit degeneration and breaks, and the fibril arrangement of the stroma may be altered, among other changes to corneal structures [¹]. Clinically, KC is diagnosed by corneal topography [⁸]. Corneal topography confirms the abnormal corneal curvature characteristic of keratoconus, but other morphological defects may be used to confirm a diagnosis [⁸]. The prevalence of KC globally ranges between 0.2 and 4790 per 100,000 people [⁸]. The prevalence of KC in the United States is often reported based on a 1986 study as 54.5 per 100,000 people [⁹]. More recent estimates vary, but there is no well-established current prevalence rate for KC in the United States. The management of symptoms ranges from minimally invasive measures like rigid contact lenses to more invasive collagen crosslinking (CXL) and surgical interventions such as total corneal transplant or refractive surgery [⁸].