후낭 혼탁(posterior capsule opacification, PCO)은 백내장 수술 후 흔히 발생하는 합병증으로, 인공수정체

(intraocular lens, IOL) 수술 후에 잔존하는 수정체 상피세포(lens epithelial cell, LEC)가 IOL 표면에 부착 및 증

식됨에 의해 유발된다. 본 연구에서는 근적외선(near-infrared, NIR) 조사 하에서 열을 발생시킬 수 있는 금 나노입

자를 IOL 표면 위에 도포하여, 광열 효과에 의해 IOL 표면 위에 부착 및 증식되는 LEC를 사멸시킴에 의해 IOL

표면에서 발생되는 PCO의 억제 가능성을 살펴보았다. 금 나노입자는 전구체인 HAuCl4를 sodium borohydride로

환원시켜 제조하였으며, 제조된 금 나노입자는 소수성 아크릴 IOL 표면에 도포되었다. 광열 특성은 808 nm 파장

의 NIR 레이저 조사 하에서 평가되었는데 여러 조성 중에서 특히 HAuCl4 농도 50 mM, dopamine 농도 9.0 mM

조건에서 합성된 금 나노입자로 도포된 IOL은 36 oC의 온도 증가를 보여 가장 우수한 광열 효과를 보였다. 또한

금 나노입자가 도포된 IOL은 2%의 세포 독성을 보여 생체적합성이 우수하였다. 이상의 결과는 본 연구를 통해 합

성된 금 나노입자가 IOL 위에 도포될 때 광열 효과에 의해 LEC를 사멸시킬 수 있으므로 IOL 표면에서의 PCO 발

생 억제 가능성을 보여주었다.

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a common complication after cataract surgery, and is caused by

the attachment and proliferation of lens epithelial cell (LEC) that remains after intraocular lens (IOL) surgery. In this

study, we examined the possibility of inhibiting PCO on the IOL surface by applying Au nanoparticle (AuNP) that can

generate heat under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation on the IOL surface to kill the LEC that adheres and proliferates on the

IOL surface by photothermal effect. AuNP was prepared by reducing the precursor HAuCl4 with sodium borohydride, and the

prepared AuNP was applied to the surface of hydrophobic acrylic IOL. The photothermal properties were evaluated under

NIR laser irradiation at a wavelength of 808 nm. Among the various compositions, the IOL coated with the AuNP

synthesized under conditions of 50 mM HAuCl4 concentration and 9.0 mM dopamine concentration showed the best

photothermal effect, with a temperature increase of 36 oC. In addition, IOL to which AuNP was applied showed cytotoxicity

of 2% and was excellent in biocompatibility. The above results show that the AuNP synthesized in this study can kill LEC

by the photothermal effect when applied on the IOL, thereby exhibiting the possibility of suppressing PCO generation on

the IOL surface.

Gold nanoparticle, Photothermal effect, Intraocular lens, HAuCl4, Dopamine, Posterior capsule opacification

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