Table 1.
Comparison between experimental designs: reference [56] vs. this report.
| Aspect | Reference [56] | This report |
|---|---|---|
| Cells | Primary rabbit CLECs | Primary human CLECs; SV40-immortalized HCECs |
| Feeder cells | Always present in cultures | Growth of primary cultures compared in the presence and absence of feeder cells |
| Maximum duration of cultures | 7 days | 12 days |
| Substrata | BMSF films coated onto porous cell culture membranes | Freestanding BMSF membranes |
| Control substrata | Non-treated BMSF film; AM | Non-treated BMSF membrane; TCP |
| Ratio PEG/BMSF (by wt.) | 0 to 38 (assessed); 2 (recommended) | 2 |
| Mol. wt. of molecules assessed for permeability | 0.376 to 15 kDa | 26–28 kDa |
| Modification of membranes | No | Yes (by chemical crosslinking) |
| In vivo evaluation | Yes (animals) | No |
CLECs: corneal limbal epithelial cells; HCECs: human corneal epithelial cells; BMSF: Bombyx mori silk fibroin; AM: amniotic membrane; TCP: tissue culture plastic; PEG: poly(ethylene glycol).