Functionalized silk fibroin film scaffold using β-Carotene for cornea endothelial cell regeneration

Design of corneal endothelium substitute is important for replacement of cadaveric cornea tissue. Our previous study has shown the suitability of silk fibroin (SF) as a biomaterial for cornea scaffold. In this study, we used β-Carotene (β-C) to enhance the regeneration of corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs) and maintain CEnC specific function. The fabricated film scaffolds showed desired transparency and hydrophilic properties which are crucial factors for vision recovery. The cell viability, phenotype and gene expression was examined using MTT assay, immunofluorescence and reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions. Compared with pristine SF scaffold, proper amount of β-C incorporated with SF scaffolds showed higher initial cell attachment, cell viability and mRNA expression. The results indicate that the fabricated SF film scaffold incorporated with small amount of β-C might be the suitable alternative corneal endothelium substitute for transplantation.