Research of the properties of synthetic polymer matrices made for transplantation of cultured limbal stem cells to eliminate a limbal deficiency

Abstract

The properties of synthetic polyester matrices made of polylactide-glycolide, polylactide-caprolactone and poly-ɛ- caprolactone are investigated. It was established that the matrix of polylactide-glycolide and polylactide-caprolactone have high levels of transparency, strength, but fewer indicators of elasticity and elasticity compared with poly-ɛ-caprolactone matrices and amniotic membrane. It was revealed that the transparency of the poly-ɛ-caprolactone matrices depends on the material thickness and tends to decrease with increasing material thickness, while the transparency of the polylactide-glycolide and polylactide- caprolactone matrices does not change with increasing material thickness. The terms of biodegradation of polylactide-glycolide and polylactide-caprolactone matrices with a thickness of 5 μm are about 30 days, which is comparable to the degradation time of the amniotic membrane on the surface of the cornea. It has been shown that human and rabbit limbal stem cells, as well as the cells of a human corneal epithelial cell line, adhere to the surface of all types of matrices under study, retain the typical structure of the actin cytoskeleton, the ability to proliferate and migrate during cultivation. Differences in the interaction of different cell cultures with different types of carriers were revealed. The studied mechanical properties, transparency, biocompatibility of cultured limbal stem cells with matrices and the timing of biodegradation of a 5 micron-thick polylactide-caprolactone matrix are close to the amniotic membrane. Taking into account the optimal combination of the investigated properties, the most acceptable for use as a carrier of cultured limbal stem cells is a polylactide-caprolactone matrix with a thickness of 5 μm.

Keywords

polylactide-glycolide / polylactide-caprolactone / poly-ɛ-caprolactone / transparency / biodegradation / biocompatibility / mechanical properties / corneal epithelial cells / limbal stem cells

References

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Funding

Российский научный фондRussian Science Foundation(14–50–00068)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Karpovich V.V., Kulikov A.N., Churashov S.V., Chernysh V.F., Blinova M.I., Nashchekina Yu.A., Alexandrova O.I., Khorolskaya Yu.I., Machel T.V., Pisugina G.A., Perepletchikova D.A., Nikonov P.O., Tsobkallo E.S., Moskalyuk O.A., Melnikov A.S., Serdobintsev P.Yu., Khoroshih D.A., Riedel S.A.