Purely zwitterionic polymer injectable hydrogels for vitreous substitutes

IF 7.4 2区材料科学 Q1 MATERIALS SCIENCE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Science China Materials Pub Date : 2025-08-18 DOI:10.1007/s40843-025-3620-x

Liping Lang (, ), Huijie Hao (, ), Jia Yao (, ), Haolun Wang (, ), Hongying Wang (, ), Man Liu (, ), Xiaoli Xing (, ), Jianhai Yang (, ), Wenguang Liu (, )

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Current clinical vitreous substitutes employed in vitrectomy and retinal surgery are frequently associated with complications such as emulsification, vitreous opacities, and inflammation, highlighting the urgent demand for safer biomaterial alternatives. Herein, we report a purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogel for vitreous replacement, which is constructed entirely from a zwitterionic monomer (carboxybetaine ureido acrylate) without any covalent cross-linkers or non-zwitterionic segments, and self-crosslinked via multi-valent hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions. The supramolecular network of poly(carboxybetaine ureido acrylate) (PCBUIA) hydrogels exhibits pronounced shear-thinning properties for smooth injection and rapid self-healing to restore mechanical integrity once the shear force is removed. The PCBUIA hydrogels also match native vitreous in density (1.016–1.021 g/cm³), refractive index (1.3359–1.3389) and transmittance (> 90%), while exhibiting comparable viscoelastic behavior. Moreover, the zwitterionic hydration layer confers PCBUIA hydrogels with ultralow protein adsorption and markedly suppresses cell attachment; notably, it cannot provoke any foreign-body reaction or fibrotic capsule formation, demonstrating an outstanding biocompatibility. After one month of implantation in rabbit eyes, the PCBUIA hydrogels maintained optical transparency, preserved native retinal morphology, and did not cause elevated intraocular pressure and inflammatory response. These findings demonstrate the potential of purely zwitterionic polymer hydrogels as vitreous substitutes. However, further long-term in vivo studies are required to evaluate their stability and functional performance.

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用于玻璃体替代品的纯两性离子聚合物注射水凝胶

目前临床玻璃体切除术和视网膜手术中使用的玻璃体替代品经常伴有并发症，如乳化、玻璃体混浊和炎症，这突出了对更安全的生物材料替代品的迫切需求。在此，我们报道了一种用于玻璃体替代的纯两性离子聚合物水凝胶，它完全由两性离子单体（羧基甜菜碱脲基丙烯酸酯）构成，没有任何共价交联剂或非两性离子段，并通过多价氢键和偶极子-偶极子相互作用自交联。聚羧基甜菜碱脲酰丙烯酸酯（PCBUIA）水凝胶的超分子网络具有明显的剪切减薄特性，可实现平滑注射，并在剪切力消除后快速自愈以恢复机械完整性。PCBUIA水凝胶在密度（1.016-1.021 g/cm3）、折射率（1.3359-1.3389）和透光率（> 90%）方面也与天然玻璃相匹配，同时表现出类似的粘弹性行为。两性离子水合层使PCBUIA水凝胶具有超低蛋白吸附，显著抑制细胞附着；值得注意的是，它不会引起任何异物反应或纤维化胶囊的形成，显示出出色的生物相容性。在兔眼内植入1个月后，PCBUIA水凝胶保持了光学透明度，保留了原有的视网膜形态，并且没有引起眼压升高和炎症反应。这些发现证明了纯两性离子聚合物水凝胶作为玻璃体替代品的潜力。然而，需要进一步的长期体内研究来评估它们的稳定性和功能性能。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science China Materials Materials Science-General Materials Science

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

7.40%

发文量

949

期刊介绍： Science China Materials (SCM) is a globally peer-reviewed journal that covers all facets of materials science. It is supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The journal is jointly published monthly in both printed and electronic forms by Science China Press and Springer. The aim of SCM is to encourage communication of high-quality, innovative research results at the cutting-edge interface of materials science with chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. It focuses on breakthroughs from around the world and aims to become a world-leading academic journal for materials science.