Fabrication of gelatin hydrogel sheet for the transplantation of corneal endothelium

1. A corneal endothelial composition comprising a transparent hydrogel scaffold modified with heparin and a layer of corneal endothelial cells present on the surface of the hydrogel scaffold, wherein the hydrogel scaffold is modified with an amount of heparin that enhances proliferation of the corneal endothelial cells on the hydrogel scaffold;

wherein the hydrogel scaffold comprises and is cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS);

wherein the hydrogel scaffold comprises gelatin; and

wherein the transparent hydrogel scaffold is formed by drying a solution comprising gelatin in a mold at room temperature.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel scaffold further comprises at least one synthetic polymer, wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylate-oligolactide-PEO-oligolactide-(meth)acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO), poly(propylene glycol) (PPO), PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers, poly(phosphazene), poly(methacrylates), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone), PL(G)A-PEO-PL(G)A copolymers, poly(ethylene imine), and poly(ethyl glycol) diacrylate.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein gelatin is modified with methacrylic anhydride to form gelatin methacrylate.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the corneal endothelial cells are obtained from donor cornea.

5. A method of making the corneal endothelial composition of claim 1 , the method comprising generating a thin hydrogel scaffold by drying a solution comprising gelatin in a mold at room temperature, adding both EDC and NHS to the hydrogel scaffold, crosslinking the hydrogel sheet with the EDC and NHS and culturing corneal endothelial cells on the surface of the hydrogel scaffold, wherein the hydrogel scaffold comprises heparin and is transparent.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the hydrogel scaffold further comprises at least one synthetic polymer, wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylate-oligolactide-PEO-oligolactide-(meth)acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO), poly(propylene glycol) (PPO), PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers (Pluronics), poly(phosphazene), poly(methacrylates), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone), PL(G)A-PEO-PL(G)A copolymers, poly(ethylene imine), and poly(ethyl glycol) diacrylate.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the gelatin is modified with methacrylic anhydride to form gelatin methacrylate.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the corneal endothelial cells are obtained from donor cornea.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the corneal endothelial cells are cultured in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a size of about 10-90% of corneal endothelium.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel scaffold is in the range of about 100-300 μm thick.

12. A corneal endothelial composition comprising a transparent hydrogel scaffold modified with heparin and a layer of corneal endothelial cells present on the surface of the hydrogel scaffold, wherein the hydrogel scaffold comprises gelatin, is cross-linked with, 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and wherein the hydrogel scaffold is modified with an amount of heparin that enhances proliferation of the corneal endothelial cells on the hydrogel scaffold;

wherein the hydrogel scaffold comprises at least one synthetic polymer, wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylate-oligolactide-PEO-oligolactide-(meth)acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO), poly(propylene glycol) (PPO), PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers, poly(phosphazene), poly(methacrylates), poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone), PL(G)A-PEO-PL(G)A copolymers, poly(ethylene imine), and poly(ethyl glycol) diacrylate; and

wherein the transparent hydrogel scaffold is formed by drying a solution comprising gelatin in a mold at room temperature.