Evaluation of an Improved Chitosan Scaffold Cross-Linked With Polyvinyl Alcohol and Amine Coupling Through 1-Ethyl-3-(3-Dimethyl Aminopropyl)-Carbodiimide (EDC) and 2 N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) for Corneal Applications.

backgroundCorneal blindness resulting from various medical conditions affects millions worldwide. The rapid developing tissue engineering field offers design of a scaffold with mechanical properties and transparency similar to that of the natural cornea.

aimThe present study aimed at to prepare and investigate the properties of PVA/chitosan blended scaffold by further cross-linking with 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) and 2 N-Hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) as potential in vitro carrier for human limbal stem cells delivery. MATERIAL AND

methodsAcetic acid dissolved chitosan was added to PVA solution, uniformly mixed with a homogenizer until the mixture was in a colloidal state, followed by H

resultsAfter viscosity measurement, the scaffold was observed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). The water absorbency of PVA/Chitosan was increased 361% by swelling. Compression testing demonstrated that by increasing the amount of chitosan, the strength of the scaffold could be increased to 16×10-1 MPa. Our degradation results revealed by mass loss using equation shows that scaffold degraded gradually imply slow degradation. In vitro tests showed good cell proliferation and growth in the scaffold. Our assay results confirmed that the membrane could increase the cells adhesion and growth on the substrate.

conclusionHence, we strongly believe the use of this improved PVA/chitosan scaffold has potential to cut down the disadvantages of the human amniotic membrane (HAM) for corneal epithelium in ocular surface surgery and greater mechanical strength in future after successful experimentation with clinical trials.