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 limitation...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | npj Regenerative Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-024-00385-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1825197580387090432 |
|---|---|
| author | Fang Chen Uiyoung Han Thitima Wungcharoen Youngyoon Amy Seo Peter Le Li Jiang Nae-Won Kang Euisun Song Kyeongwoo Jang David Mundy Gabriella Maria Fernandes-Cunha Sarah Heilshorn David Myung |
| author_facet | Fang Chen Uiyoung Han Thitima Wungcharoen Youngyoon Amy Seo Peter Le Li Jiang Nae-Won Kang Euisun Song Kyeongwoo Jang David Mundy Gabriella Maria Fernandes-Cunha Sarah Heilshorn David Myung |
| author_sort | Fang Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 favorable wound healing compared to the same composition crosslinked by photochemistry as well as bio-orthogonally crosslinked collagen alone. These findings underscore biochemical parameters that may be important to the success of crosslinked, in situ-forming hydrogels as an alternative to corneal transplantation, with the potential for expanded access to treatment and improved outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2b9b64cc2bbb4aa7a9252158d0b05b3f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2057-3995 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Regenerative Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-2b9b64cc2bbb4aa7a9252158d0b05b3f2025-02-09T12:16:21ZengNature Portfolionpj Regenerative Medicine2057-39952025-02-0110111110.1038/s41536-024-00385-9Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogelsFang Chen0Uiyoung Han1Thitima Wungcharoen2Youngyoon Amy Seo3Peter Le4Li Jiang5Nae-Won Kang6Euisun Song7Kyeongwoo Jang8David Mundy9Gabriella Maria Fernandes-Cunha10Sarah Heilshorn11David Myung12Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineSpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineMaterials Science and Engineering, Stanford UniversitySpencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineAbstract 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 favorable wound healing compared to the same composition crosslinked by photochemistry as well as bio-orthogonally crosslinked collagen alone. These findings underscore biochemical parameters that may be important to the success of crosslinked, in situ-forming hydrogels as an alternative to corneal transplantation, with the potential for expanded access to treatment and improved outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-024-00385-9 |
| spellingShingle | Fang Chen Uiyoung Han Thitima Wungcharoen Youngyoon Amy Seo Peter Le Li Jiang Nae-Won Kang Euisun Song Kyeongwoo Jang David Mundy Gabriella Maria Fernandes-Cunha Sarah Heilshorn David Myung Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels npj Regenerative Medicine |
| title | Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels |
| title_full | Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels |
| title_fullStr | Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels |
| title_short | Bio-orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ-forming hydrogels |
| title_sort | bio orthogonal crosslinking and hyaluronan facilitate transparent healing after treatment of deep corneal injuries with in situ forming hydrogels |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-024-00385-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fangchen bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT uiyounghan bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT thitimawungcharoen bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT youngyoonamyseo bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT peterle bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT lijiang bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT naewonkang bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT euisunsong bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT kyeongwoojang bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT davidmundy bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT gabriellamariafernandescunha bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT sarahheilshorn bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels AT davidmyung bioorthogonalcrosslinkingandhyaluronanfacilitatetransparenthealingaftertreatmentofdeepcornealinjurieswithinsituforminghydrogels |