Electrofusion of individual animal cells directly to intact corneal epithelial tissue.

ABSTRACT

An electromechanical process was developed to electrofuse human and nonhuman cultured cells directly to rabbit corneal epithelial tissue in vitro and in situ. This new process was utilized successfully to incorporate functional gonococcal membrane attachment receptors from human lymphoma cells into superficial rabbit corneal epithelium. Thus, cell-tissue electrofusion biotechnology may be employed to establish unique and novel animal models for investigating receptor-mediated processes in vivo.