Gelatin nanofibers coated with hyaluronic acid as a mesenchymal stromal cell scaffold for corneal regeneration.

Electrospun gelatin nanofibers coated with hyaluronic acid (GelNF-HA) were synthesized as a scaffold for delivering human corneal mesenchymal stromal cells (C-MSCs) directly to deep corneal injuries. Aligned GelNFs were produced by electrospinning, crosslinked using vapor of glutaraldehyde, coated with HA, and crosslinked with EDC/NHS. The GelNF-HA was characterized by SEM, mechanical, and optical properties. It was then investigated as a substrate for C-MSC proliferation and migration in vitro and in a rabbit cornea culture model. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was determined in the ex vivo model. SEM showed that the GelNF-HA scaffold was composed of aligned GelNFs with 75 % of the fibers oriented against the same angle. It exhibited a Young's modulus of 1.66 ± 0.59 MPa and approximately 93 % transmittance of visible light. The GelNF-HA membranes supported C-MSC proliferation in vitro. In a scratch migration assay, it facilitated complete wound closure after 48 h in culture. C-MSC-laden GelNF-HA scaffolds supported corneal wound healing in an ex vivo model as well, expressing a lower percentage of stromal α-SMA compared to both the no-treatment keratectomy-only and C-MSC groups (p < 0.05). The C-MSC-supportive GelNF-HA scaffolds hold therapeutic potential for stromal regeneration in the treatment of deep corneal defects.