Desenvolvimento de córneas biossintéticas derivadas do estroma de córneas suínas descelularizadas contendo nanopartículas de ouro

• Ano de defesa: 2023
• Autor(a) principal: Matheus Soares Siman
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Brasil; ENG - DEPARTAMENTO DE ENGENHARIA METALÚRGICA; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Metalúrgica, Materiais e de Minas; UFMG
• Palavras-chave em Português: Córneas suínas descelularizadas; Hidrogel; Transplante de córnea; Nanopartículas de ouro; Angiogênese; Materiais; Ciência dos materiais; Córnea - Transplante; Hidrogéis; Oftalmologia; Nanopartículas; Neovascularização
• Link de acesso: http://hdl.handle.net/1843/75901

The growing demand for corneal transplants worldwide has not been supplied due to the shortage of human donors. In this context, it becomes imperative to develop new materials. The synthesis of biosynthetic corneas, modeled as hydrogels, emerges as a highly promising alternative. This is because, in addition to preserving a significant portion of the extracellular matrix of the cornea, the raw material is easily accessible, cost-effective, and presents few ethical dilemmas related to its source. Despite all these advantages, previous studies indicate the need to enhance the mechanical properties and structural stability of these materials. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the influence of adding different concentrations of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the mechanical and biological properties of these hydrogels derived from decellularized porcine cornea. The AuNPs, approximately 30nm in diameter, were synthesized using a modified Turkevich method and incorporated into the hydrogel matrix in three different proportions: 25, 50, and 75ppm. Dynamic-mechanical analysis revealed a correlation between an increase in AuNPs concentration and an increase in the elastic modulus. The addition of 75ppm of AuNPs resulted in an approximately 75% increase in the elastic modulus of the hydrogels under a compressive oscillating load at 10Hz. The resazurin cell viability test showed that the addition of these concentrations of AuNPs did not result in cytotoxic effects. Additionally, the Chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis assay revealed an inhibitory effect on blood vessel formation as the concentration of AuNPs increased, reducing the vascular area and the number of vascular junctions. Despite a reduction in light transmission in the AuNPs absorption range, the biosynthetic corneas maintained suitable optical and biomechanical properties for applications in the field of ophthalmology.