Biodegradable and Biocompatible Poly(Ethylene Glycol)‐based Hydrogel Films for the Regeneration of Corneal Endothelium

Abstract

Corneal endothelial cells (CECs) are responsible for maintaining the transparency of the human cornea. Loss of CECs results in blindness, requiring corneal transplantation. In this study, fabrication of biocompatible and biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel films (PHFs) for the regeneration and transplantation of CECs is described. The 50-μm thin hydrogel films have similar or greater tensile strengths to human corneal tissue. Light transmission studies reveal that the films are >98% optically transparent, while in vitro degradation studies demonstrate their biodegradation characteristics. Cell culture studies demonstrate the regeneration of sheep corneal endothelium on the PHFs. Although sheep CECs do not regenerate in vivo, these cells proliferate on the films with natural morphology and become 100% confluent within 7 d. Implantation of the PHFs into live sheep corneas demonstrates the robustness of the films for surgical purposes. Regular slit lamp examinations and histology of the cornea after 28 d following surgery reveal minimal inflammatory responses and no toxicity, indicating that the films are benign. The results of this study suggest that PHFs are excellent candidates as platforms for the regeneration and transplantation of CECs as a result of their favorable biocompatibility, degradability, mechanical, and optical properties.

Crosslinked Platform Coatings Incorporating Bioactive Signals for the Control of Biointerfacial Interactions

“…There was no reduction in cell viability for any of the PEGDAP incubated surfaces regardless of the concentration of the incubated medium. This result follows many other studies demonstrating the nontoxic properties of PEG‐based polymer systems both in vitro and in vivo . Similarly, in the case of PEGDAP coatings no in vitro toxicity was observed.…”

White paper on guidelines concerning enteric nervous system stem cell therapy for enteric neuropathies

“…A number of bioengineering approaches have been used for delivery for cardiac, retinal and corneal cell replacements (Cutts et al, 2015; Kundu et al, 2014; Ozcelik et al, 2014). The use of a natural or synthetic biodegradable matrix, usually as a membrane seeded with stem/progenitor cells, can provide the appropriate milieu for cell growth, and when placed directly on the target or diseased site of an organ (sometimes termed a ‘patch’ or ‘wrap’), resulting in efficient cell engraftment and homogenous cell distribution.…”

Early Observation of Extracellular Matrix-Derived Hydrogels for Corneal Stroma Regeneration

“…There has been some success in the use of tissue engineering in ophthalmology, particularly in the development of corneal epithelium cultured from limbal-derived stem cells on a biomaterial substrate that is suitable for transplantation [1][2][3] and more recently in the development of carriers for endothelial cells. [4][5][6][7] The corneal stroma represents a more challenging tissue to engineer due to its thickness, composition, complex structure, and need for transparency. To date, the most common approaches to engineering the corneal stroma have involved either the development of three-dimensional hydrogels [8][9][10][11][12] or the use of decellularized corneal scaffolds.…”