Photocontrolled Bionic Micro-Nano Hydrogel System used Novel Functional Strategy for Cell Delivery and Large-Scale...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Replicating natural cornea microstructure for artificial corneas is challenging.
• Mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial for functional artificial corneas.
• Developing efficient strategies for bioactive material fabrication is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel photo-functionalization strategy for natural biomaterials.
• To create a fibrous hydrogel mimicking the natural corneal ECM.
• To evaluate the potential of this hydrogel for corneal repair and tissue engineering.

Main Methods:

• Electrospun collagen microfibers were functionalized with N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester for photo-curing.
• Functionalized collagen microfibers were embedded into gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) via photo-crosslinking.
• The resulting fibrous hydrogel was assessed for mechanical properties, fibroblast interaction, and in vivo efficacy in a rabbit corneal defect model.

Main Results:

• The developed hydrogel successfully replicated ECM-like environments, promoting human corneal fibroblast (hCF) migration and retention.
• The material demonstrated excellent burst resistance, indicating potential as a bioadhesive.
• In a rabbit model, the hydrogel facilitated effective repair of large corneal defects, supported epithelial migration, and showed long-term stability.

Conclusions:

• The novel photo-functionalization strategy offers an efficient and generalizable method for creating photo-controllable hydrogel systems.
• The fibrous hydrogel shows significant promise for corneal repair and broader tissue engineering applications.
• This approach provides valuable guidance for designing simplified bioactive materials for regenerative medicine.