{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T20:26:49Z","timestamp":1790886409064,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770249600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents","award":["BX20220266"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BX20220266"]}]},{"name":"Liangzhu Dual-Creation Doctoral Academy Cultivation Program Project"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Corneal nerves are essential for maintaining the functional integrity of the ocular surface. Damage to corneal nerves can lead to corneal issues and impaired vision. Current treatments for corneal nerve damage are inadequate, thus highlighting the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. In this study, we present a hydrogel microneedle system designed to facilitate the sustained release of recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF). The microneedle features a tip composed of glycidyl methacrylate modified silk fibroin (SFMA) loaded with rhNGF, photopolymerized for structural integrity, while its base is formed using silk fibroin (SF). This design allows the microneedles to penetrate the corneal epithelium and deliver rhNGF to the sub-epithelial layer. The crosslinking process not only provides the mechanical strength required for microneedle penetration but also enables sustained drug release. The proposed rhNGF-loaded SF hydrogel microneedle provides a platform for drug delivery, serving as a novel therapeutic option for corneal tissue engineering.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18030412","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T11:13:01Z","timestamp":1770289981000},"page":"412","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Silk Fibroin Hydrogel Microneedles Loaded with Recombinant Human Nerve Growth Factor for Corneal Tissue Engineering"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Jinmei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Regeneration and Aging Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linran","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Regeneration and Aging Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinrang","family":"Zhai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Regeneration and Aging Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China"},{"name":"School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dilnaz","family":"Em","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Regeneration and Aging Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine, and International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xihao","family":"Pan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1186\/s12974-023-02710-3","article-title":"Myeloid cells protect corneal nerves against sterile injury through negative-feedback regulation of TLR2\u2013IL-6 axis","volume":"20","author":"Lee","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. 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