Photocrosslinking of Silk Fibroin Using Riboflavin for Ocular Prostheses.

Applegate, Matthew B; Partlow, Benjamin P; Coburn, Jeannine; Marelli, Benedetto; Pirie, Christopher; Pineda, Roberto; Kaplan, David L; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G · Adv Mater · 2016

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

A novel method to photocrosslink silk fibroin protein is reported, using riboflavin (vitamin B2) as a photoinitiator and the mechanism of crosslinking is determined. Exposure of riboflavin-doped liquid silk solution to light results in the formation of a transparent, elastic hydrogel. Several applications for this new material are investigated including corneal reshaping to restore visual acuity and photolithography.

Medical subject headings