{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T14:33:06Z","timestamp":1787495586113,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767657600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000781","name":"European Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2018-ADG-SILKEYE-833106"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2018-ADG-SILKEYE-833106"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000781","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Corneal abrasions are common ocular injuries characterized by the loss of epithelial cells. Severe cases are often treated with amniotic membrane transplantation. However, as an allogenic tissue, it can trigger immune responses, it is scarce and costly, and may require suturing to the cornea. In this study, we propose and evaluate two silk fibroin-based hydrogels implanted in rabbit corneas with a sutureless photobonding technique as a surrogate for the amniotic membrane in corneal wound healing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Silk fibroin-based hydrogels were developed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 300 or 3350. The hydrogels were stained with 0.01% Rose Bengal and photobonded to\n                      <jats:italic>ex vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      de-epithelialized rabbit corneal strips using a custom-developed irradiation system (532\u00a0nm; 0.13 or 0.15\u00a0W\/cm\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      irradiance for 6.6\u00a0min). Bonding strength after 24 and 72\u00a0h under hydrated conditions was measured using a uniaxial stretcher, with five samples per experiment. An\n                      <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      proof of concept study was also performed: hydrogels were implanted in four anesthetized rabbits that were euthanized immediately after photobonding for bonding assessment after 24 and 72\u00a0h in hydration. Two additional rabbits received\n                      <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      implants, were clinically monitored for 15 and 30\u00a0days, and euthanized for histological evaluation.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Bonding strengths measured 24- or 72-h after irradiation at 0.13 or 0.15\u00a0W\/cm\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      of 532\u00a0nm light reached 2\u20133\u00a0N\/cm\n                      <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                      for both types of Rose Bengal-stained hydrogels.\n                      <jats:italic>In vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      bonding strength was consistent with the\n                      <jats:italic>ex vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      results. At 15 and 30\u00a0days after the procedure, the corneas exhibited complete re-epithelialization beneath the hydrogel.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Silk fibroin-based hydrogels can be successfully bonded to\n                      <jats:italic>ex vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      rabbit corneas using a sutureless photobonding technique, achieving high bonding strength. The\n                      <jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic>\n                      proof-of-concept study demonstrated the feasibility of the surgical procedure and confirmed corneal re-epithelialization.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1739461","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T22:10:45Z","timestamp":1767651045000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Photobonding of silk fibroin-based hydrogels to rabbit corneas"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Rocio","family":"Gutierrez-Contreras","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patricia","family":"Gallego-Mu\u00f1oz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andr\u00e9s","family":"De La Hoz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar","family":"Fern\u00e1ndez-Gutierrez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Irene E.","family":"Kochevar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M. Carmen","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Susana","family":"Marcos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6646","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.7b00675","article-title":"Rose Bengal binding to collagen and tissue photobonding","volume":"2","author":"Alarcon","year":"2017","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"348","DOI":"10.4274\/tjo.galenos.2022.88036","article-title":"A modified continuous suturing technique for amniotic membrane fixation after chemical corneal injury: an octagonal graft","volume":"52","author":"Baykara","year":"2022","journal-title":"Turk. J. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1514","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms10041514","article-title":"Biodegradation of silk biomaterials","volume":"10","author":"Cao","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Mol. Sci."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1549","DOI":"10.4028\/www.scientific.net\/msf.561-565.1549","article-title":"Silk as substratum for cell attachment and proliferation","author":"Chirila","year":"2007","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Forum"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1203","DOI":"10.1089\/ten.tea.2007.0224","article-title":"Bombyx mori silk fibroin membranes as potential substrata for epithelial constructs used in the management of ocular surface disorders","volume":"14","author":"Chirila","year":"2008","journal-title":"Tissue Eng. Part A"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"960","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2017.11.013","article-title":"Injectable silk fibroin hydrogels functionalized with microspheres as adult stem cells-carrier systems","volume":"108","author":"Ciocci","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3471","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.16-21365","article-title":"Corneal wound repair after rose bengal and green light crosslinking: clinical and histologic study","volume":"58","author":"Gallego-Mu\u00f1oz","year":"2017","journal-title":"Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1678","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.biomac.0c00090","article-title":"Enzymatic degradation of Bombyx mori silk materials: a review","volume":"21","author":"Guo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biomacromolecules"},{"key":"B9","article-title":"Ocular bandage","author":"Guti\u00e9rrez Contreras","year":"2022"},{"key":"B35","article-title":"Ocular bandage (EP22382323.8)","author":"Gutierrez-Contreras","year":"2025"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38452","DOI":"10.1021\/acsomega.4c02204","article-title":"Comparative analysis of silk fibroin membranes across cross-linking methods: processing and characterization","volume":"9","author":"Gutierrez-Contreras","year":"2024","journal-title":"ACS Omega"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13153","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms241713153","article-title":"Advances in preparation and properties of regenerated silk fibroin","volume":"24","author":"Huang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Mol. Sci."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1007\/s10561-017-9618-5","article-title":"Amniotic membrane in ophthalmology: properties, preparation, storage and indications for grafting\u2014a review","volume":"18","author":"Jirsova","year":"2017","journal-title":"Cell Tissue Bank."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"558","DOI":"10.1038\/eye.2009.136","article-title":"Amniotic membrane transplantation using fibrin glue in pterygium surgery: a comparative randomised clinical trial","volume":"24","author":"Kucukerdonmez","year":"2010","journal-title":"Eye"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"457","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addr.2012.09.043","article-title":"Silk fibroin biomaterials for tissue regenerations","volume":"65","author":"Kundu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv. Drug Deliv. Rev."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4583","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2010.02.024","article-title":"Controlling silk fibroin particle features for drug delivery","volume":"31","author":"Lammel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biomaterials"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4821","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.18-24881","article-title":"Rose bengal and green light versus riboflavin\u2013UVA cross-linking: corneal wound repair response","volume":"59","author":"Lorenzo-Mart\u00edn","year":"2018","journal-title":"Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6647","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biomaterials.2010.05.034","article-title":"Carbodiimide cross-linked amniotic membranes for cultivation of limbal epithelial cells","volume":"31","author":"Ma","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biomaterials"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.5500\/wjt.v4.i2.111","article-title":"Human amniotic membrane transplantation: different modalities of its use in ophthalmology","volume":"4","author":"Malhotra","year":"2014","journal-title":"World J. Transpl."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141039","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2025.141039","article-title":"Silk biomaterials for corneal tissue engineering: from research approaches to therapeutic potentials; A review","volume":"305","author":"Manoochehrabadi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-81266-5","article-title":"Corneal protein repair after amniotic membrane photo-tissue bonding versus amniotic membrane graft in the treatment of corneal ulcer (an experimental study)","volume":"14","author":"Mohammad","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6443","DOI":"10.1039\/b905802h","article-title":"Biomedical applications of chemically-modified silk fibroin","volume":"19","author":"Murphy","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Mater. Chem."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1930","DOI":"10.3390\/polym11121933","article-title":"Silk fibroin-based biomaterials for biomedical application: a review","volume":"11","author":"Nguyen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Polymers (Basel)"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1097","DOI":"10.1111\/php.13126","article-title":"Medical applications of Rose Bengal- and riboflavin-photosensitized protein crosslinking","volume":"95","author":"Redmond","year":"2019","journal-title":"Photochem. Photobiol."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1612","DOI":"10.1038\/nprot.2011.379","article-title":"Materials fabrication from Bombyx mori silk fibroin","volume":"6","author":"Rockwood","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. Protoc."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110131","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msec.2019.110131","article-title":"Optimization of silk fibroin membranes for retinal implantation","volume":"105","author":"Suzuki","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. C"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.37200\/IJPR\/V23I6\/PR190823","article-title":"A review of the emerging role of silk for the treatment of the eye","volume":"23","author":"Tran","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pharm. Res."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijbiomac.2003.08.004","article-title":"The role of formic acid in solution stability and crystallization of silk protein polymer","volume":"33","author":"Um","year":"2003","journal-title":"Int. J. Biol. Macromol."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1002\/pro.4907","article-title":"The ratio of fibroin to sericin in the middle silk gland of Bombyx mori and its correlation with the extensional behavior of the silk dope","volume":"33","author":"V\u00e4lisalmi","year":"2024","journal-title":"Protein Sci."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.progpolymsci.2007.05.013","article-title":"Silk as a biomaterial","volume":"32","author":"Vepari","year":"2007","journal-title":"Prog. Polym. Sci."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9470","DOI":"10.1167\/iovs.11-7248","article-title":"Light-initiated bonding of amniotic membrane to cornea","volume":"52","author":"Verter","year":"2011","journal-title":"Investig. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2057","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTH.S208008","article-title":"Amniotic membrane transplantation in ophthalmology: an updated perspective","volume":"14","author":"Walkden","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actbio.2014.10.027","article-title":"Injectable silk-polyethylene glycol hydrogels","volume":"12","author":"Wang","year":"2015","journal-title":"Acta Biomater."},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1002\/adma.201605471","article-title":"The use of functionalized silk fibroin films as a platform for optical diffraction-based sensing applications","volume":"29","author":"Zhou","year":"2017","journal-title":"Adv. Mater."},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1234","DOI":"10.1097\/ICO.0000000000000916","article-title":"Corneal crosslinking with rose bengal and green light: efficacy and safety evaluation","volume":"35","author":"Zhu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Cornea"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1739461\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T22:10:46Z","timestamp":1767651046000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1739461\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]},"references-count":35,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1739461"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fbioe.2025.1739461","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-4185"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-4185","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]},"article-number":"1739461"}}