Abstract
Purpose :
With 1.5-2 million new cases annually worldwide, corneal injuries are common causes of corneal scarring and vision loss. Suturing is the most common treatment for sealing full-thickness lacerations; however, suturing can be time-consuming, requires an equipped operating room and almost always induces significant astigmatism. In this study, we optimized the formulation of a photopolymerizable gelatin-based hydrogel by addition of a natural viscous glycosaminoglycan to determine if changing the composition of the gelatin-based hydrogel would lead to different adhesive strengths in the management of full-thickness lacerations.
Methods :
Porcine skin gelatin was reacted with methacrylic anhydride to obtain methacrylated gelatin (GelMA), a photopolymerizable material. Precursor solutions were prepared by dissolving GelMA in a photoinitiator solution with natural viscous glycosaminoglycan. Swelling capacity of the hydrogel was characterized by photopolymerizing precursor solutions into molds with visible light until complete solidification. Obtained hydrogels were incubated for 1 day in phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Hydrogels were weighed before and after incubation and swelling ratios were calculated. Adhesion properties of the hydrogel were compared to FDA-approved ocular sealant (ReSure®). Full-thickness 6-mm lacerations were created on explanted fresh pig eyeballs using a microsurgical knife. After application on the laceration, the hydrogel precursor solution was photopolymerized with visible light until complete solidification. Intraocular pressure was induced by injecting PBS into the eyeballs until bursting of the hydrogel, and burst pressures were measured using a pressure sensor.
Results :
Our results demonstrated that the swelling ratio of GelMA hydrogel with the viscous agent added was 10.69±0.8%. The addition of the viscous glycosaminoglycan to GelMA resulted in development of a thick hydrogel that was easy to apply and had desirable retention on the ocular surface during photopolymerization. Our results showed higher burst pressure measurements for GelMA containing the viscous agent compared to ReSure® (3.68-fold increase, p=0.10).
Conclusions :
These results suggest that the addition of a natural viscous glycosaminoglycan improves the adhesive properties of gelatin-based hydrogels, which can potentially improve the efficiency of the bioadhesive in sealing corneal lacerations.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.