Influence of Substrate Mechanical Properties on Lens Epithelial Cell Behavior
Loading...
Date
2018-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Posterior capsular opacification (PCO), or secondary cataract, is the most common complication of after cataract surgery, but current clinical solutions are expensive, have complications, and are not available in developing countries. While PCO has been widely studied, little to no research exists to examine the link between mechanical properties of implanted intraocular lenses (IOLs) and occurrence of secondary cataract. The goal of this project was to start to close this scientific gap by measuring mechanical properties of a series of amphiphilic polymers and investigating their impact on lens epithelial cell (LEC) response. Polymers with different levels of crosslinking were synthesized to modulate mechanical stiffness. The unloading moduli of these polymers were measured by nanoindentation, but it did not provide any statistically significant data. Rheology was also used to quantify the mechanical properties of polymers. The storage moduli of polymers were in the range of 0.9-30 kPa, and the loss moduli of polymers were in the range of 0.1-35 kPa. Rheology data was somewhat inconsistent, so in the future, it is important to design rheology methods that provide more accurate data. Preliminary data showed that primary canine LECs seeded onto polymer films in a well plate tended to preferentially attach to stiffer surfaces. When polymers were seeded with human LECs, they tended to preferentially attach to polymers with a higher ratio of TRIS. However, there were no clear trends in the amount of cell attachment with changing degree of crosslinking. This study should be repeated with more replicates and multiple batches of polymers. Further research will look to complete a comprehensive study of both chemical and mechanical properties of amphiphilic polymers so that optimal IOL properties can be determined to potentially prevent PCO. Additionally, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of LECs on these surfaces will be investigated.
Description
Keywords
polymer, posterior capsular opacification, lens, mechanical properties, rheology