Aging Effect on Structures and Functions of Biohydrogel

我们致力于开发一种新型的眼内可注射调节晶状体，它基于含有亲水性二氧化硅纳米颗粒的热敏性疏水修饰的聚乙二醇膜。通过将弹性聚合物作为液体注射到眼睛的囊袋中，体温将聚合物转化为光学透明的凝胶，这种凝胶具有全尺寸的双凸形，并完全填满囊袋。凝胶不会泄漏，并且完全粘合在一起。在凝胶基质中均匀分布尺寸较小(2~5 nm)的二氧化硅纳米颗粒的情况下，纳米复合材料的折射率比天然凝胶基质的折射率提高了0.0667，而浊度没有增加。这种复合体系可以被配制成与天然透镜的模数和折射率(~1.411)相匹配。全尺寸、灵活的调节镜片系统的潜在好处不仅仅是提供随着年龄增长而失去的调节能力。在填充囊膜时，它可能更接近于年轻的自然晶状体的行为，消除了囊内为细胞生长提供空间的可能性。结果表明，所研究的两亲性聚合物不仅可作为生物材料用于长期可调节人工晶状体，还可用于其他生物医学领域。

We focus on the development of a novel injectable accommodative lens for intraocular applications, which is based on a thermosensitive hydrophobically-modified poly(ethylene glycol) containing hydrophilized silica nanoparticles. By injection of elastic polymers into the capsular bag of the eye as a fluid, body temperature transforms the polymer into optically clear gel that has the shape of a full-sized biconvex and completely fills the capsular bag. The gel does not leak and entirely cohesive. Under the condition of uniform distribution of silica nanoparticles with small size (2-5 nm) in the gel matrix, an increase in refractive index up to 0.0667 were obtained for nanocomposite compared with native gel matrix without an increase in turbidity. This composite system could be formulated to match the modulus and the refractive index of the natural lens (~1.411). The potential benefits of a full-sized, flexible accommodating lens system go beyond providing the accommodation lost with age. In fillingthe capsule, it might more closely resemble the action of the young, natural lens, eliminating the possibility of any intracapsular space for cell growth. The obtained results indicate that the amphiphilic polymer studied here has potential as a biomaterial suitable not only for long-term accommodative intraocular lens, but other biomedical field