LAUSR

The repair of large-diameter corneal stroma defects is a major clinical problem. Although some studies have attempted to use hydrogels to repair corneal damage, most of these hydrogels can only be used for focal stromal defects that are ≤ 3.5 mm in diameter due to poor hydrogel adhesion. Here, we investigated a photocurable adhesive hydrogel that mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) with regard to composition for repairing 6-mm-diameter corneal stromal defects in rabbits. This ECM-like adhesive could be rapidly cured after light exposure, with high light transmittance and good mechanical properties. More importantly, this hydrogel maintained the viability and adhesion of cornea-derived cells and promoted their migration in vitro in 2D and 3D culture environments. Proteomics analysis confirmed that the hydrogel promoted cell proliferation and ECM synthesis. Furthermore, in rabbit corneal stromal defect repair experiments, it was proven by histological and proteomic analysis that this hydrogel could effectively promote corneal stroma repair, reduce scar formation and increase corneal stromal-neural regeneration at the 6-month follow-up. This work demonstrates the great application of ECM-like adhesive hydrogels for the regeneration of large-diameter corneal defects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.