Electrospun collagen/poly(L-lactic acid‑co‑ε‑caprolactone) scaffolds for conjunctival tissue engineering

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Conjunctival injuries are general but intractable ocular surface diseases, the sequelae of which are particularly challenging to treat. A promising therapy for conjunctival injuries is to employ biodegradable scaffolds to deliver conjunctival epithelial cells for repairing damaged or diseased conjunctiva.

METHODS: In the present study, an ultrathin porous nanofibrous scaffold was fabricated by using collagen and poly(L‑lactic acid‑co‑ε‑caprolactone) (PLCL) and displayed a thickness of 20 µm, with a high porosity and an average fiber diameter of 248.83±26.44 nm.

RESULTS: Conjunctival epithelial cells seeded on the scaffolds proliferated well and had a high cell viability. Reverse‑transcription quantitative PCR showed the expression of conjunctival epithelial cell‑specific genes; in addition, there was no significant difference in the inflammatory gene expression between cells grown on collagen/PLCL scaffolds and tricalcium phosphate scaffolds. After co‑culture for 2 weeks in vitro, epithelial cell stratification was observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, exhibiting three to four epithelial‑cell layers.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results suggested that collagen/PLCL scaffolds have potential application for repairing conjunctival epithelial coloboma.