Collagen Gels Crosslinked by Photoactivation of Riboflavin for the Repair and Regeneration of Corneal Defects.

ABSTRACT: Bioengineered corneal tissue is a promising therapeutic modality for the treatment of corneal blindness as a substitute for cadaveric graft tissue. In this study, we fabricated a collagen gel using ultraviolet-A (UV-A) light and riboflavin as a photosensitizer (PhotoCol-RB) as an in situ-forming matrix to fill corneal wounds and create a cohesive interface between the crosslinked gel and adjacent collagen. The PhotoCol-RB gels supported corneal epithelialization and exhibited higher transparency compared to physically crosslinked collagen. We showed that different riboflavin concentrations yielded gels with different mechanical and biological properties. In vitro experiments using human corneal epithelial cells (hCECs) showed that hCECs are able to proliferate on the gel and

SUBMITTER: Fernandes-Cunha GM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10788120 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature