Incorporation of GelMA/PEGDA into the Decellularized Cornea as a Potential Hybrid Scaffold for In Situ Repairing of Deep Anterior Corneal Defects

Corneal injury is one of the substantial and challenging global concerns regarding vision loss. Corneal transplantation is the gold standard for restoring vision to a blurred cornea; however, suture-related complications, corneal haziness, and graft failure have led to ongoing research to improve graft efficiency. In this study, a highly suture-able hybrid corneal scaffold composed of decellularized corneas injected with GelMa/PEGDA in situ was fabricated to preserve the structural integrity and transparency of the injured corneas. First, GelMA/PEGDA hydrogels with different ratios (3/7, 1/1, and 7/3) were evaluated in terms of microstructure, degradation rate, cytocompatibility, and equilibrium water content. GelMa/PEGDA 7/3 was chosen based on the cytocompatibility assay, which confirmed the attachment, maintenance, and proliferation of limbal stem cells with an elongated morphology. Next, the explanted rabbit cornea was decellularized successfully to preserve its extracellular components and transparency with less than 1