Loading...
1 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
- Produção de um novo substituto para a regeneração da pelePublication . Graça, Mariana Filipa Pais; Correia, Ilídio Joaquim Sobreira; Miguel, Sónia Alexandra Pereira; Cabral, Cátia Solange DuarteThe skin is the largest and most external organ of the human body, and it is exposed to different external agents that may cause structural and functional damage. Despite skin’s self-regeneration ability, skin structure can be compromised when extensive and deep injuries occur. In these situations, wound dressings capable of protecting the lesion as well as promote the healing process are required. So far, different types of skin substitutes have been developed. However, none of them is fully capable of reestablishing all the structural and functional features of the native skin. To overcome this situation, researchers from the tissue engineering area have been developing new biomaterials that are capable of reproducing the structure and composition of native skin. In this way, asymmetric membranes emerged as promising therapeutic approaches for the treatment of skin lesions, since they display two layers with different properties and functions. The work plan developed herein aimed to produce asymmetric membranes, using electrospinning technique, that are able to mimic both layers of the native skin. Therefore, the top membrane was manufactured with polycaprolactone and cellulose acetate, in order to act as the epidermis layer of the membrane. On the other hand, the bottom layer of the membrane was produced with poly (vinyl alcohol) and hyaluronic acid to replicate the characteristics of the dermis (high porosity and absorption capacity). In additon, silver nanoparticles were also produced to confer antimicrobial properties to the membranes. The characterization of the physicochemical properties of the produced membranes revealed that they have a porosity and water absorption capacity that provides a moist environment to the wound site. On the other side, the in vitro assays showed that the produced membranes did not induce any cytotoxic effect, when they were incubated in contact with human fibroblasts cells. Further, the silver nanoparticles possess suitable size, morphology and antibacterial properties for preventing infections. In this way, the produced membranes showed promising properties to be used in the treatment of skin lesions. Thus, in the future, the incorporation of silver nanoparticles into the bottom membrane will be performed to provide antibacterial properties to the asymmetric membrane. On the other side, the incorporation of other bioactive molecules (vitamins, growth factors, anti-inflammatory molecules) could also be hypothesized to augment the biological performance of the asymmetric membrane and consequently, the wound healing process.