Cell biology

Biology

Biomedical engineering

Materials science

Biocompatible material

Surgery

Ophthalmology

Transplantation

Tissue engineering

Regeneration (biology)

Cornea

Polyester

Polymer

Nanotechnology

Polycaprolactone

Composite material

Medicine

Corneal transplantation

Materials Today Communications

Corneal transplantation has been applied mainly for common corneal diseases. Although it has been used formerly as a common treatment, it suffers some shortcomings such as the lack of suitable donors and the rejection of the tissue by the host immune system. Recently, tissue engineering has been considered as a good replacement for corneal transplantation due to its high range of applicability. For this purpose, a variety of materials have been investigated to facilitate corneal regeneration. Polycaprolactone (PCL), apart from being a biodegradable and biocompatible polyester, is cost efficient, readily available and an easy to modify polymer. Therefore, PCL is presently a promising material with an enormous variety of tissue engineering applications. PCL has adjustable mechanical strength, along with biological properties and physiochemical state that allow it to withstand mechanical, chemical and physical insults without significant loss of its properties. This paper reviews the recent progress of using PCL in corneal tissue engineering.

Use of polycaprolactone in corneal tissue engineering: A review