The present inventors employed cyclodextrins for use as a proteoglycan substitute to engineer a biomimetic collagen-based matrix composition. The resulting incorporation of cyclodextrin in the inventive collagen compositions increased collagen thermal stability and reduced collagen fibrogenesis. As a result, a thick, transparent and mechanically strong collagen-based composition was formed. This cyclodextrin-collagen composition holds a great potential to be used as a therapeutic eye patch for corneal repair. Methods for making these inventive compositions and their use are also provided.