Journal article
Biodegradable and biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel films for the regeneration of corneal endothelium
B Ozcelik, KD Brown, A Blencowe, K Ladewig, GW Stevens, JPY Scheerlinck, K Abberton, M Daniell, GG Qiao
Advanced Healthcare Materials | Published : 2014
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 t..
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Grants
Awarded by Australian Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia (ORIA) for funding, Melbourne Materials Institute (MMI, The University of Melbourne) for funding through Interdisciplinary Seed Funding (IDSF), A/Prof. Andrea O'Connor (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Melbourne) for use of facilities, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, for veterinary care of animals, Prof. Ken Ghiggino and Mr. Hamish Graham (Department of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne) for assistance with spectral reflectance analysis, Ms. Sioe See Volaric and Dr. Alex Duan (Department of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne) for assistance with ATR-IR spectroscopy, Roger Curtain (Advanced Microscopy Facility, Bio21) for assistance with Enviro-SEM imaging, Ms. Adrienne Mackey (Lions Eye Donation Service Melbourne) for determination of sheep CEC density in vivo, and Prof. Penny McKelvie from St. Vincent's Hospital Pathology, Melbourne for histology of the in vivo studies. The Centre for Eye Research Australia and the O'Brien Institute receive Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian Government. G. G. Q. and K. L. also acknowledge funding received from the Australian Research Council in the form of Future and Super Science Fellowships (FT110100411 and FS110200025), respectively.