Biomimetic hydrogel with tunable mechanical properties for vitreous substitutes.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

The vitreous humor of the eye is a biological hydrogel principally composed of collagen fibers interspersed with hyaluronic acid. Certain pathological conditions necessitate its removal and replacement. Current substitutes, like silicone oils and perfluorocarbons, are not biomimetic and have known complications. In this study, we have developed an in situ forming two-component biomimetic hydrogel with tunable mechanical and osmotic properties. The components are gellan, an analogue of collagen, and poly(methacrylamide-co-methacrylate), an analogue of hyaluronic acid; both endowed with thiol side groups. We used response surface methodology to consider seventeen possible hydrogels to determine how each component affects the optical, mechanical, sol-gel transition temperat

SUBMITTER: Santhanam S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5787031 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature