Electrospinning Equipment: Bioprinting skin patches with dual cross-linked gelatin (GelMA) and silk fibroin (SilMA): a pathway to accelerate skin wound healing

Importance of skin wound healing

The skin is the main barrier between the inner and outer worlds of the human body, and has multiple functions such as protecting the body from external damage, regulating body temperature, and sensing external stimuli. Severe skin wounds exposed to the air for a long time can lead to various health consequences, including shock, systemic infection, and even death. In addition, acute wounds that are not properly treated can develop into chronic wounds, which prolongs the duration of the disease and increases the difficulty of treatment. Therefore, the development of skin-specific hydrogels that are compatible with skin-related cells and promote cell migration, growth, and proliferation is of great significance for wound healing.

The role of hydrogels in wound healing

Hydrogel is a polymer network system with a hydrophilic three-dimensional network cross-linked structure. Its excellent biocompatibility, high water content, and adjustable mechanical properties make it show a wide range of application potential in wound healing. Hydrogels derived from natural or synthetic materials can be designed to play a variety of functions to promote wound healing. For example, the team of Professor Hou Ruixing, President of Suzhou Ruihua Orthopedic Hospital, studied a 3D bioprinted hydrogel patch that can be used to accelerate acute wound healing.

Study on 3D bioprinted hydrogel patch

The hydrogel patch is made of methacryloyl-modified gelatin (GelMA) and silk fibroin (SilMA) double cross-linked by ultraviolet (UV). GelMA with added silk fibroin (GelSilMA) showed improved biodegradability and mechanical properties. In addition, SilMA hydrogel can continuously maintain a moist healing environment in the wound area and has sufficient degradation ability. In vivo, GelSilMA (G-S) hydrogel can help accelerate wound closure by improving the microenvironment for epidermal tissue regeneration and endogenous collagen production.

Physical and chemical properties: G-S hydrogel has higher porosity, biodegradability and adjustable mechanical properties.

Cytocompatibility: G-S hydrogel can effectively increase the migration, proliferation and adhesion of fibroblasts in vitro.

In vivo effect: Animal experiments confirmed the effectiveness of G-S hydrogel in promoting skin wound healing.

Conclusion

The hybrid gel GelSilMA developed in this study combines photocrosslinked silk fibroin and gelatin prepolymer modified with active methacrylate groups. The G-S hydrogel was gelled by a one-step UV crosslinking method, which resulted in dual crosslinking of GelMA and SilMA. The inherent dual regulatory effect of the G-S hydrogel can guide skin wound healing in a biotherapeutic manner. The G-S hydrogel has better biological and mechanical properties than single GelMA or SilMA networks.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100550