Zhao Xuan, Li Saiqun, Du Xinyue, Li Weihua, Wang Qian, He Dalian, Yuan Jin
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
Bioact Mater. 2021 Jul 6;8:196-209. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.07.001. eCollection 2022 Feb.
Keratoplasty is the gold standard treatment for visual impairment caused by corneal damage. The use of suturing as the bonding method is the source of many complications following keratoplasty. Currently available corneal adhesives do not have both adequate adhesive strength and acceptable biocompatibility. Herein, we developed a photocurable bioadhesive hydrogel which was composed of gelatin methacryloyl and oxidized dextran for sutureless keratoplasty. The bioadhesive hydrogel exhibited high light transmittance, resistance to enzymatic degradation and excellent biocompatibility. It also had higher adhesive strength than commercial adhesives (fibrin glue). In a rabbit model of lamellar keratoplasty, donor corneal grafts could be closely bonded to the recipient corneal bed and remained attached for 56 days by using of this in situ photopolymerized bioadhesive hydrogel. The operated cornea maintained transparent and noninflamed. Sutureless keratoplasty using bioadhesive hydrogel allowed rapid graft re-epithelialization, typically within 7 days. confocal microscopic and histological evaluation of the operated cornea did not show any apparent abnormalities in terms of corneal cells and ultrastructure. Thus, this bioadhesive hydrogel is exhibited to be an appealing alternative to sutures for keratoplasty and other corneal surgeries.
角膜移植术是治疗角膜损伤所致视力障碍的金标准疗法。使用缝合作为粘结方法是角膜移植术后诸多并发症的根源。目前可用的角膜粘合剂既没有足够的粘合强度，也没有可接受的生物相容性。在此，我们开发了一种光固化生物粘附水凝胶，其由甲基丙烯酰化明胶和氧化葡聚糖组成，用于无缝合角膜移植术。该生物粘附水凝胶具有高透光率、抗酶降解性和优异的生物相容性。它还具有比商业粘合剂（纤维蛋白胶）更高的粘合强度。在板层角膜移植术的兔模型中，通过使用这种原位光聚合生物粘附水凝胶，供体角膜移植物可紧密粘结于受体角膜床，并保持附着56天。手术角膜保持透明且无炎症。使用生物粘附水凝胶的无缝合角膜移植术可使移植物快速重新上皮化，通常在7天内完成。对手术角膜的共聚焦显微镜和组织学评估在角膜细胞和超微结构方面未显示任何明显异常。因此，这种生物粘附水凝胶被证明是角膜移植术和其他角膜手术中替代缝合的一种有吸引力的选择。
