Abstract
Infectious keratitis is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, especially in developing countries. Corneal transplant surgery is a feasible treatment for bacterial keratitis when drug therapy cannot be effective. However, the amount of corneal donors is far from requirements of clinical treatment and thus, the prognosis of bacterial keratitis is not satisfactory. In this study, we developed a novel antibacterial corneal repair material (β-CD-DA/OFLX-Col) for bacterial keratitis. The inclusion complex of β-cyclodextrin dialdehyde (β-CD-DA) with ofloxacin formed by host-guest interaction was used as both a drug vector and a crosslinker for further reaction with the amino groups on lysine of collagen chains. Physical properties, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial property of β-CD-DA/OFLX-Col film were characterized. The results indicated that the film was mainly transparent and possessed superior mechanical properties. Moreover, human corneal epithelial cells could adhere to the film and proliferate normally, indicating that the β-CD-DA/OFLX-Col film was non-cytotoxic and had good biocompatibility. Most importantly, the β-CD-DA/OFLX-Col film exhibited prominent antibacterial effects against E. coli and S. aureus in vitro, which could minimize the risks of infection. The prepared β-CD-DA/OFLX-Col film could greatly increase bioavailability of drugs and reduce toxic side effects, thus displaying great potential in bacterial keratitis treatment.