Tweet
Objective: Patients suffering from dry eye syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome or have had recurrent transplant rejections are unsuitable to receive a keratoprosthesis. The present work aims at developing a highly biocompatible keratoprosthesis that could be successfully implanted in such patients.
Methods and materials: Methods and materials: Glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite (GRHA) was used to construct this new artificial cornea. In order to grant the device an adequate porosity, a porogen agent was added in the following percentages, 10, 30 and 50 %. Samples were physicochemically analyzed in terms of density, porosity, roughness, degradation and surface imaging. Biological relevance was assessed by cell culture, MTT assays, and cell imaging.
Results: Samples B (30 %porogen) and C (50 %porogen) were found to be the most porous and also had the roughest topography. Degradation studies showed that under simulated physiological conditions, no mass loss was observed. Conversely, under acidic conditions, a significant mass loss was observed. The biological performance of these samples was satisfactory when cultured with human fibroblasts. The MTT assay revealed that samples B and C had greater propensity to cell invasion and proliferation than the other tested materials. Cell imaging demonstrated that fibroblasts organized around the pore edges before colonizing it.
Conclusions: A material with physical-chemical and biological characteristics close to an ideal artificial cornea has been fabricated. The GRHA cornea containing 30 % porogen is the most promising substitute material due to the biological performance, adequate porosity and low degradation propensity.
Methods and materials: Methods and materials: Glass-reinforced hydroxyapatite (GRHA) was used to construct this new artificial cornea. In order to grant the device an adequate porosity, a porogen agent was added in the following percentages, 10, 30 and 50 %. Samples were physicochemically analyzed in terms of density, porosity, roughness, degradation and surface imaging. Biological relevance was assessed by cell culture, MTT assays, and cell imaging.
Results: Samples B (30 %porogen) and C (50 %porogen) were found to be the most porous and also had the roughest topography. Degradation studies showed that under simulated physiological conditions, no mass loss was observed. Conversely, under acidic conditions, a significant mass loss was observed. The biological performance of these samples was satisfactory when cultured with human fibroblasts. The MTT assay revealed that samples B and C had greater propensity to cell invasion and proliferation than the other tested materials. Cell imaging demonstrated that fibroblasts organized around the pore edges before colonizing it.
Conclusions: A material with physical-chemical and biological characteristics close to an ideal artificial cornea has been fabricated. The GRHA cornea containing 30 % porogen is the most promising substitute material due to the biological performance, adequate porosity and low degradation propensity.
Santos L, Ferraz MP, Shirosaki Y, Lopes MA, Fernandes MH, Osaka A, Santos JD.
CEMUC, Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e dos Materiais, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.