The cornea lacks the ability to repair itself and must rely on transplantation to repair damaged tissue. Therefore, creating alternative therapies using dressing membranes based on tissue engineering concepts to repair corneal damage before failure has become a major research goal. Themost outstanding features that are important in reconstructing a damaged cornea are the mechanical strength and transparency of the membrane, which are the most important standard considerations. In addition, preventing infection is an important issue, especially in corneal endothelial healing processes. The purpose of this study was to produce aligned fibers via electrospinning technology using gelatin (Gel) composite polycaprolactone (PCL) as an optimal transport and antibiotic release membrane. The aim of the composite membrane is to achieve good tenacity, transparency, antibacterial properties, and in vitro biocompatibility. Results showed that the Gel and PCL composite membranes with the same electrospinning flow rate had the best transparency. The Gel impregnated with gentamicin antibiotic in composite membranes subsequently exhibited transparency and enhanced mechanical properties provided by PCL and could sustainably release the antibiotic for 48 h, achieving good antibacterial effects without causing cytotoxicity. This newly developed membrane has the advantage of preventing epidermal tissue infection during clinical operations and is expected to be used in the reconstruction of damaged cornea in the future.
Keywords: antibiotic; biocompatibility; corneal damage; electrospinning; gelatin; membrane; polycaprolactone.