Cornea-Inspired Ultrasound-Responsive Adhesive Hydrogel Patches for Keratitis Treatment

Biomedical patches offer significant potential for keratitis treatment. Building on advances in multifunctionality and biomimicry, an innovative, multifunctional hydrogel patch with high therapeutic efficacy, inspired by the native architecture and functions of the cornea, is introduced. By engineering a composite patch comprising recombinant human collagen (RHC) hydrogel, near-field electrospinning (NFES) microfibers, and gold-nanoparticle-decorated tetragonal barium titanates (BTO@Au), structural mimicry, mechanical reinforcement, tissue-specific adhesion, and bacterial inhibition are achieved. The RHC hydrogel recreates a three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment that emulates the natural structure of the corneal tissue, demonstrating excellent tissue adhesion. Integrated within this hydrogel, the NFES microfibers, designed to emulate the orthogonal arrangement of native corneal stroma, not only reinforce the mechanical strength of the RHC hydrogel but also act as scaffolds to guide the aligned growth of human keratocytes. A unique aspect of this advanced patch is the incorporation of BTO@Au nanoparticles, which generate reactive oxygen species for effective bacterial eradication when subjected to ultrasound stimulation. Through in vivo studies on rat models with infected corneal wounds, this hydrogel patch exhibits superior therapeutic efficacy compared to the current treatment. It is posited that these cornea-inspired ultrasound-responsive adhesive hydrogel patches represent a significant scientific advancement with high potential for clinical applications. Inspired by the native component and structure of the cornea, a multifunctional hydrogel patch that integrates structure mimicry, mechanical enhancement, tissue adhesion, and bacterial killing is presented. The proposed patch formulation shows superior therapeutic potential in the rat-infected corneal wound model.image