3D Printing Sequentially Strengthening High-Strength Natural Polymer Hydrogel Bilayer Scaffold for Cornea Regeneration

    January 2024 in “ Regenerative Biomaterials ”
    Xiongfeng Nie, Yong Tang, Tengling Wu, Xinrui Zhao, Ziyang Xu, Rong Yang, Yage Sun, Bin Wu, Quanhong Han, Jingwen Hui, Wenguang Liu
    TLDR A new 3D-printed hydrogel scaffold helps regenerate corneas and prevent scarring.
    The study presents a novel 3D-printed high-strength natural polymer hydrogel bilayer scaffold for cornea regeneration, using Gel/Alg-CDH inks strengthened through Ca2+ and EDC/NHS cross-linking. This scaffold demonstrated excellent mechanical properties, transparency, and biodegradability, effectively promoting corneal epithelium and stroma regeneration while inhibiting scarring in a rabbit model. The hydrogel's rheological properties, such as thermosensitive gel–sol transition and shear thinning, make it suitable for extrusion printing. The scaffold's dual-layer design, loaded with rhEGF and TSA, supports rapid re-epithelialization and reduces fibrosis, offering a promising alternative to traditional cornea transplantation. Further research is needed to optimize the scaffold for deeper corneal defects.
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