Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels.

ABSTRACT: Corneal transplantation is the primary treatment for corneal blindness, affecting millions globally. However, challenges like donor scarcity and surgical complications remain. Recently, in situ-forming corneal stroma substitutes have emerged, offering potential solutions to these limitations. These substitutes enable liquid-to-hydrogel formation in situ, eliminating sutures and reducing complications. Here we performed a direct, side-by-side comparison of a composite hyaluronan-collagen (HA-Col) hydrogel crosslinked by either photochemistry or bio-orthogonal chemistry to ascertain the impact of reaction specificity on corneal wound healing. Testing in rodent and rabbit models suggests that composite HA-Col gels crosslinked by bio-orthogonal chemistry results in more rapid and optically fav

SUBMITTER: Chen F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11794660 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature