AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/ijb.4687
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

3D-printed artificial cornea featuring aligned fibrous structure and enhanced mechanical strength

Priyanka Chaudhary1 ,  Dun-Heng Tan1,2 ,  Chia-Hsien Lee1 ,  Chun-Yu Chang3 ,  Ting-Han Lin4 ,  Ming-Chung Wu4,5 ,  Wei-Fang Su1,2 ,  Meng-Fang Lin1* ,  Yu-Ching Huang1,4,5*
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1 Department of Materials Engineering and Biochemical Technology R&D Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan
2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei City 10617, Taiwan
3 Bachelor Program in Semiconductor Materials and Fabrication, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan
4 Center for Sustainability and Energy Technologies, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
5 Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
IJB, 4687 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijb.4687
Submitted: 29 August 2024 | Accepted: 28 October 2024 | Published: 28 October 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Made-to-order Organ)
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

The global shortage of donor eye bank tissue has significantly impeded advancements in biomaterial for corneal implantation. To address this issue, we have developed a three-dimensional (3D)-printed artificial cornea using a composite scaffolds of sodium alginate (SA) and cellulose nanofibers (CNF), crosslinked with poly-L-lysine-co-L-glutamic acid (PLL80GA20, PG) and calcium chloride (CaCl2, CC). The 2 wt% SA/ CNF composite scaffolds offer several advantages, including low toxicity, cost-effectiveness, excellent printability, and high mechanical strength, even with low crosslinker concentrations. The PG was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of L-glutamate N-carboxyl anhydride (BGNCA) and L-lysine N-carboxyl anhydride (CBZNCA). The purity of the monomers was verified through differential scanning calorimetry analysis, revealing a melting point of 97°C. The molecular weight of the synthesized PG was determined to be 47 kDa. A dual crosslinking strategy was employed, starting with electrostatic crosslinking, followed by ionic crosslinking using varying concentrations of PG and CC at different effective charge concentrations of 6.25 12.25, and 25 mM.The hydrogel and 3D-printed cornea were comprehensively evaluated for chemical structure, surface functional groups, water content, mechanical strength, orientation, cytotoxicity, biocompatibility, and transparency. Notably, the inclusion of PG significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed cornea, with the hydrogel achieving a storage modulus of 2,360 kPa at 6.25 mM of PG/CC, while maintaining over 95% water content. The artificial cornea demonstrated 86% transparency, and the cell viability showed 96% viable on day 7 with degradation rate of 35.9% in 28 days. The superior hydrophilicity, transparency, and mechanical strength of the printed scaffolds highlights their potential for the development of full-thickness corneal structures, making them a promising candidate for future corneal implants.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Scaffold
Poly-L-lysine-co-L-glutamic acid
3D bioprinting
Artificial cornea
Funding
The financial support from National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), Taiwan (Grant Nos. 111-2221-E-131-019-MY3, 111-2221-E-182-040- MY3, 111-2221-E-002-029, 112-2622-E-131-001, 112-2628-E-131-001-MY4, 113-2628-E-182-001-MY4), is highly appreciated. The author expresses gratitude for the financial support provided by Chang Gung University (URRPD2N0011 and URRPD2N0031).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no conflicts of interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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