Composite Decellularized Corneal Hydrogel for Effective Corneal Injury Repair and Regeneration

Repairing corneal stromal defects remains a significant clinical challenge. While hydrogels have been explored for corneal injury repair, their structural and compositional dissimilarity to natural corneal tissue has limited their potential as a viable alternative to corneal transplantation. In this study, a decellularized corneal hydrogel system (HCSL) was developed to address these limitations. The HCSL integrates decellularized corneal stromal lenticules, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA), and oxidized dextran (Odex) to create a composite decellularized corneal hydrogel with superior mechanical strength, adhesion, and biocompatibility. This hydrogel offers exceptional optical transparency and mechanical properties tailored for tissue repair. The fabrication process involves decellularizing corneal lenticules and embedding them within a hydrogel matrix composed of GelMA and Odex, which is then photo-cross-linked under visible blue light. The resulting hydrogel exhibits robust enzymatic resistance, minimal swelling, and high adhesion strength. In vitro studies demonstrated that the HCSL hydrogel promotes cell proliferation and preserves the phenotype of corneal stromal cells, confirming its biocompatibility. Additionally, the hydrogel effectively reduces scar formation during the healing process. In vivo experiments using rabbit models of corneal injury revealed that HCSL significantly accelerated epithelialization, enhanced corneal transparency, and minimized scar formation compared to control treatments. Histological analysis confirmed the successful repair of corneal defects, with well-organized epithelial and stromal layers and no significant inflammatory response or neovascularization. These findings underscore the potential of the HCSL hydrogel as a promising alternative to corneal transplantation for treating corneal injuries. Its unique combination of structural mimicry, mechanical properties, and biological activity positions it as a strong candidate for clinical application in corneal repair and regeneration.