Inter- and intrafibrillar collagen crosslinks are a major factor ensuring the mechanical stiffness of connective tissues.A number of techniques can be used to induce additional crosslinks: exposure to aldehydes (glutaraldehyde or aldehyde sugars), enzymatic treatment (lysyloxydase), and photopolymerization using UV-A light. However, some approaches are either too toxic, such as exposure to glutaraldehyde or UV-A alone, or too time-consuming, such as the application of ribose 0.5 molar for 14 days, for use in the cornea.

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