Corneal defects can seriously affect human vision, and keratoplasty is the most widely accepted therapy method for visual rehabilitation. Currently, effective treatment for clinical patients has been restricted due to a serious shortage of donated cornea tissue and high-quality artificial repair materials. As the predominant component of cornea tissue, collagen-based materials have promising applications for corneal repair. However, the corneal nerve repair and epithelization process after corneal transplantation must be improved. This research proposes a new collagen-based scaffold with good biocompatibility and biological functionality enhanced by surface chemical grafting of natural taurine molecular. The chemical composition of collagen-taurine (Col-Tau) material is evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and its hydrophilic properties, light transmittance, swelling performance and mechanical tensile properties have been measured. The research results indicate that the Col-Tau sample has high transmittance and good mechanical properties, and exhibits excellent capacity to promote corneal nerve cell growth and the epithelization process of corneal epithelial cells. This novel Col-Tau material, which can be easily prepared at a low cost, should have significant application potential for the treating corneal disease in the future.
Keywords: artificial cornea; collagen; epithelization; nerve repair; taurine.