3D printed fibroblast-loaded hydrogel for scleral remodeling to prevent the progression of myopia

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. B, Materials for biology and medicine Materials for biology and medicine, 2024-03, Vol.12 (1), p.2559-257
• Main Authors: Hui, Jingwen, Nie, Xiongfeng, Wei, Pinghui, Deng, Jie, Kang, Yuanzhe, Tang, Kexin, Han, Guoge, Wang, Ling, Liu, Wenguang, Han, Quanhong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell therapy; Collagen; Collagen (type I); Eye; Eye (anatomy); Fibroblasts; Gelatin; Guinea pigs; Hydrogels; Myopia; Polyethylene glycol; Surgery; Synergistic effect; Three dimensional printing; Visual deprivation
• ISSN: 2050-750X; 2050-7518
• DOI: 10.1039/d3tb02548a

Pathologic myopia has seriously jeopardized the visual health of adolescents in the past decades. The progression of high myopia is associated with a decrease in collagen aggregation and thinning of the sclera, which ultimately leads to longer eye axis length and image formation in front of the retina. Herein, we report a fibroblast-loaded hydrogel as a posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) surgery implant for the prevention of myopia progression. The fibroblast-loaded gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)-poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel was prepared through bioprinting with digital light processing (DLP). The introduction of the PEGDA component endowed the GelMA-PEGDA hydrogel with a high compression modulus for PRS surgery. The encapsulated fibroblasts could consistently maintain a high survival rate during 7 days of in vitro incubation, and could normally secrete collagen type I. Eventually, both the hydrogel and fibroblast-loaded hydrogel demonstrated an effective shortening of the myopic eye axis length in a guinea pig model of visual deprivation over three weeks after implantation, and the sclera thickness of myopic guinea pigs became significantly thicker after 4 weeks, verifying the success of sclera remodeling and showing that myopic progression was effectively controlled. In particular, the fibroblast-loaded hydrogel demonstrated the best therapeutic effect through the synergistic effect of cell therapy and PSR surgery. Fibroblasts-loaded GelMA-PEGDA hydrogel was constructed by DLP bioprinting. The new PSR surgery based on fibroblasts-loaded GelMA-PEGDA hydrogel is a very promising option for preventing the development of myopia.