Biodegradable Membranes for Skin Tissue Engineering and Repair

The design of membranes with specific functionalities and structural features, through the modulation of preparation process parameters, represents a challenging strategy to stimulate the interactions with cells and their morpho-functional behavior. Specific human epidermal strata are important tools for testing the effects and toxicity of drugs, cosmetics and pollutants in distinct districts of epidermis. Moreover, the engineering of physiologically relevant human skin models is an imperative need considering the international regulation requirements, whose strategy accepts the implementation of non-animal alternatives. In this work, biodegradable nano- and micro-structured membranes were realized by phase inversion process and characterized to evaluate their structural, physico-chemical and biodegradation properties. Engineered microenvironments made by the combination of the developed membranes with human skin cells were created as skin models [1]. Specific epidermal strata were engineered by using nano- and micro-porous chitosan membranes that through their specific structural and physico-chemical surface properties triggered specific cell responses, modulating the stratification and terminal differentiation of human keratinocytes [2, 3]. As a further strategy to trigger biological processes needed for skin regeneration and repair, microporous composite chitosan membranes were loaded with a bioactive molecule, with therapeutic and healing properties, that was constantly released in the time. The protective effect of the incorporated and released biomolecules was assessed after UV and oxidative stress damages induced in the developed epidermal membrane systems. The above-described achievements towards the creation of membranes with specific cues represent a contribution to the comprehensive understanding of cell-material interactions that have become increasingly prominent in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Moreover, the creation of membrane skin models that incorporate bioactive molecules represent an attractive tissue engineering approach useful in the tissue regeneration processes, and that could be used as a patch for topical drug delivery, wound healing and skin repair. References [1] Salerno S. et al., Dermal-epidermal membrane systems by using human keratinocytes and mesenchymal stem cells isolated from dermis (2017), Mater Sci Eng C-Mater Biol Appl., 71, 943-53. [2] Salerno S. et al., Polymeric membranes modulate human keratinocyte differentiation in specific epidermal layers. Colloid Surface B-Biointerfaces (2016), 146, 352-62. [3] Salerno S. et al., Nano- and Micro-Porous Chitosan Membranes for Human Epidermal Stratification and Differentiation, Membranes (2021), 11(6), 394.