Biointerface multiparametric study of intraocular lens acrylic materials
Virginie Bertrand1, Dimitriya Bozukova1, Tiziana Svaldo Lanero1
1From the Mammalian Cell Culture Laboratory (Bertrand, Huang, Rosière, De Pauw-Gillet) and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (Bertrand, Rosière, De Pauw), Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliquée-Research University of Liège, the NanoChemistry and Molecular Systems Laboratory (Svaldo Lanero, Duwez), the Veterinary Ophthalmology (Grauwels), the Center of Education and Research on Macromolecules (Jérôme), University of Liège, and the Research and Development Department (Bozukova, Pagnoulle), PhysIOL s.a., Liège, Belgium.
Hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lenses exhibit increased adhesion and lens epithelial cell (LEC) adhesion, potentially reducing posterior capsule opacification (PCO) risk despite higher tackiness.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Intraocular lenses (IOLs) are crucial for vision restoration after cataract surgery.
- Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) remains a common complication, influenced by IOL material properties.
- Acrylic materials are widely used for IOLs, with varying surface characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare hydrophilic and hydrophobic acrylic materials for IOLs.
- To investigate adhesion forces, lens epithelial cell (LEC) adhesion, and tissue response.
- To assess the potential risk for posterior capsule opacification (PCO) development.
Main Methods:
- Contact-angle and atomic force microscopy measured hydrophobicity and adhesion.
- In vitro experiments assessed bioadhesiveness using bovine serum albumin and porcine LECs.
- In vivo rabbit subcutaneous implantation evaluated tissue response.
Main Results:
- Increased surface hydrophobicity correlated with greater surface-adhesion force and LEC adhesion.
- Rabbit implants showed thin fibrous capsules without significant inflammation after one month.
- Hydrophobic samples exhibited a layer of rounded cells in contact with the disk.
Conclusions:
- Hydrophobic acrylic materials demonstrate increased tackiness.
- This increased adhesion may contribute to the clinically observed reduced risk of PCO.
- Further research into material-surface interactions is warranted for IOL design.
