A unique and biocompatible corneal collagen crosslinking in vivo

A unique and biocompatible corneal collagen crosslinking in vivo | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A unique and biocompatible corneal collagen crosslinking in vivo Ayesha Gulzar, Humeyra Nur Kaleli, Gülsüm Deniz Köseoğlu, Murat Hasanreisoğlu, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4449359/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Corneal crosslinking (CXL) is a widely applied technique to halt the progression of ectatic diseases through increasing the thickness and mechanical stiffness of the cornea. This study investigated the biocompatibility and efficiency of a novel CXL procedure using ruthenium and blue light in rat corneas and evaluated parameters important for clinical application. To perform the CXL procedure, the corneal epithelium of rats was removed under anaesthesia, followed by the application of a solution containing ruthenium and sodium persulfate (SPS). The corneas were then exposed to blue light at 430 nm at 3 mW/cm 2 for 5 minutes. Rat corneas were examined and evaluated for corneal opacity, corneal and limbal neovascularization, and corneal epithelial regeneration on days 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, and 14. On day 28, the corneas were isolated for subsequent tissue follow-up and analysis. CXL with ruthenium and blue light showed rapid epithelial healing, with 100 % regeneration of the corneal epithelium and no corneal opacity on day 6. The ruthenium group also exhibited significantly reduced corneal (p<0.01) and limbal neovascularization (p<0.001). Histological analysis revealed no signs of cellular damage or apoptosis, which further confirms the biocompatibility and nontoxicity of our method. Confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirmed high density of collagen fibrils, indicating efficient crosslinking and enhanced structural integrity. This study is unique that demonstrates in vivo safety, biocompatibility, and functionality of ruthenium and blue light CXL. This approach can prevent toxicity caused by UV-A light and can be an immediate alternative compared to the existing crosslinking procedures that have side effects and clinical risks for the patients. Health sciences/Diseases/Eye diseases Health sciences/Diseases/Eye diseases/Corneal diseases Biological sciences/Biotechnology/Biomaterials/Biomedical materials Cornea Collagen Crosslinking in vivo Ruthenium Blue light. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files supplementaryfigures.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 23 Oct, 2024 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 24 Jul, 2024 Reviews received at journal 18 Jul, 2024 Reviews received at journal 02 Jul, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jun, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Jun, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 04 Jun, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 04 Jun, 2024 Editor invited by journal 28 May, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 28 May, 2024 First submitted to journal 20 May, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4449359","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":312289724,"identity":"85b0e4e9-2b6e-498a-88be-96d651e54b8b","order_by":0,"name":"Ayesha Gulzar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University, Türkiye","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ayesha","middleName":"","lastName":"Gulzar","suffix":""},{"id":312289725,"identity":"1677a94c-8e59-4fe2-a7b7-04783c696513","order_by":1,"name":"Humeyra Nur Kaleli","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University, 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This study investigated the biocompatibility and efficiency of a novel CXL procedure using ruthenium and blue light in rat corneas and evaluated parameters important for clinical application. To perform the CXL procedure, the corneal epithelium of rats was removed under anaesthesia, followed by the application of a solution containing ruthenium and sodium persulfate (SPS). The corneas were then exposed to blue light at 430 nm at 3 mW/cm\u003csup\u003e2 \u003c/sup\u003efor 5 minutes. Rat corneas were examined and evaluated for corneal opacity, corneal and limbal neovascularization, and corneal epithelial regeneration on days 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, and 14. On day 28, the corneas were isolated for subsequent tissue follow-up and analysis. CXL with ruthenium and blue light showed rapid epithelial healing, with 100 % regeneration of the corneal epithelium and no corneal opacity on day 6. 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