In vitro evaluation of electrospun blends of gelatin and PCL for application as a partial thickness corneal graft

Alicia El Haj, James B Rose, Laura E Sidney, James Patient, Lisa J White, Harminder S Dua, Andrew Hopkinson, Felicity R A J Rose

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)
181 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The advent of innovative surgical procedures utilizing partial thickness corneal grafts has created a need for the development of synthetic implants to recreate corneal stromal tissue. This work evaluates electrospun gelatin and polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds as a potential biomaterial suitable for use in regeneration of corneal stromal tissue. Electrospun gelatin has been used for many years in tissue engineering; however, post‐production modification, such as crosslinking, is usually required to mechanically strengthen such scaffolds. This article aims therefore to compare glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinked electrospun gelatin scaffolds with electrospun blends of gelatin and PCL at different ratios. Scaffolds were fabricated using electrospinning and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Attenuated Total Reflectance‐Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and tensile testing. To evaluate biocompatibility, primary human corneal stromal cells (hCSC) were seeded upon the scaffolds to assess adherence, proliferation, and phenotype. Results demonstrated that scaffolds fabricated from mixtures of gelatin and PCL showed increased mechanical strength and plasticity compared to scaffolds fabricated from GA crosslinked gelatin alone. In addition, scaffolds fabricated from PCL and gelatin showed comparable support of hCSC adhesion and proliferation. In conclusion, blended mixtures of gelatin and PCL can be considered as an option in the selection of corneal repair materials in the future.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)828-838
JournalJournal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A
Volume107
Issue number4
Early online date22 Dec 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2019

Keywords

  • corneal stroma
  • electrospinning
  • gelatin
  • keratocytes
  • polycaprolactone

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Biomaterials
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Metals and Alloys

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