Immunoregulatory cryogel-based contact lenses for bacterial keratitis prevention and treatment

Abstract

Contact lens (CL)-associated bacterial keratitis (BK), a prevalent and underestimated disorder caused by unhygienic CL wear, poses a risk to permanent loss of visual acuity. Clinically, low drug-delivery efficiency, frequent administration, hormone complications, and antibiotic resistance remain the major unsolved challenges. Here, we introduce a chlorogenic acid (CGA)-conjugated CL material based on gelatin methacrylate via cryogelation(cGelMA/CGA-CL) to strengthen the prevention and treatment of BK. The cGelMA/CGA-CL features a highly moist, macroporous, adjustable structure for sustained release of CGA and is favorably biocompatible to cells, providing antimicrobial protection against opportunistic pathogens and inhibiting excessive ocular inflammatory responses through the JAK2-STAT1/STAT2 signaling pathway. Furthermore, the cGelMA/CGA-CL effectively alleviates the symptoms of BK with immunoregulation of macrophage recruitment and anti-inflammatory factor release in a mouse model of BK. The cGelMA/CGA-CL offers a promising candidate for the prevention and treatment of BK, which may significantly reduce the risk of infection for CL wearers.