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2026 Vol.36, Issue 5 Preview Page

Research Paper

Evaluation of Silk Fibroin/Fish Vitreous Humor Hydrogel as a Potential Biomaterial for Corneal Regeneration
Aynaz Sharifian1
,
Esmaeil Biazar2†
,
Javad Esmaeili2
,
Reza Zeinali3
,
Saeed Heidari Keshel45
,
Soheil Shokri6
,
Azam Rahimi7
,
Davood Zaeifi8
1Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Tonekabon 4684161167, Iran
2Department of Applied Sciences, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi QC G7H 2B1, Canada
3Group of Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona 08222, Spain
4Hematopoietic Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1983969411, Iran
5Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
6Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch, Rasht 4147654919, Iran
7Department of Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1983969411, Iran
8Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran
†Corresponding author E-Mail : es.biazar@iau.ac.ir (E. Biazar, Islamic Azad Univ.)
27 May 2026. pp. 167-177
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Abstract

Corneal blindness is a significant cause of visual loss worldwide and its treatment poses substantial clinical and scientific challenges. Various strategies have been investigated to repair or regenerate damaged corneal tissue. In this study, a scaffold for epithelial cell growth and proliferation was developed using different ratios of silk fibroin (SF) and fish vitreous humor (VH), two natural biocompatible biomaterials. Hydrogels of pure SF, SF/VH (9:1), and SF/VH (1:1) were cross-linked with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and then characterized by infrared spectroscopy, optical transparency, swelling behavior, degradation profile, mechanical properties, and in vitro cell studies. Spectrophotometric analysis showed that scaffolds with higher SF content exhibited superior transparency and light transmission. Increasing the SF content also enhanced mechanical strength while reducing both swelling and degradation rates. Higher VH content improved elasticity and promoted cell adhesion, proliferation, and overall viability. Among the tested formulations, the SF/VH (9:1) hydrogel demonstrated the best balance of physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties, indicating its strong potential as a scaffold for regenerating corneal epithelial tissue.

Keywords
silk fibroin
fish vitreous humor
corneal regeneration
EDC cross-linking
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Information
  • Publisher :Materials Research Society of Korea
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국재료학회
  • Journal Title :Korean Journal of Materials Research
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국재료학회지
  • Volume : 36
  • No :5
  • Pages :167-177
  • Received Date : 2026-02-28
  • Revised Date : 2026-04-21
  • Accepted Date : 2026-04-22
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.3740/MRSK.2026.36.5.167
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