Applications of Chitosan and its Derivatives in Skin and Soft Tissue Diseases

Abstract

Chitosan and its derivatives are bioactive molecules that have recently been used in various fields, especially in the medical field. The antibacterial, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties of chitosan have been extensively studied. Chitosan can be used as a drug-delivery carrier in the form of hydrogels, sponges, microspheres, nanoparticles, and thin films to treat diseases, especially those of the skin and soft tissue such as injuries and lesions of the skin, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. Chitosan can prevent and also treat soft tissue diseases by exerting diverse biological effects such as antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and tissue regeneration effects. Owing to its antitumor properties, chitosan can be used as a targeted therapy to treat soft tissue tumors. Moreover, owing to its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, chitosan can be used in the prevention and treatment of soft tissue infections. Chitosan can stop the bleeding of open wounds by promoting platelet agglutination. It can also promote the regeneration of soft tissues such as the skin, muscles, and nerves. Drug-delivery carriers containing chitosan can be used as wound dressings to promote wound healing. This review summarizes the structure and biological characteristics of chitosan and its derivatives. The recent breakthroughs and future trends of chitosan and its derivatives in therapeutic effects and drug delivery functions including anti-infection, promotion of wound healing, tissue regeneration and anticancer on soft tissue diseases are elaborated.

Development of Two-Layer Hybrid Scaffolds Based on Oxidized Polyvinyl Alcohol and Bioactivated Chitosan Sponges for Tissue Engineering Purposes

“…Chitosan is a polysaccharide broadly used for supporting peripheral nerve regeneration, fulfilling the recommendations for a nerve conduit material [ 22 ]. In fact, chitosan-based devices show adequate biodegradability, biocompatibility, neglectable toxicity, and suitable biological absorptivity; excellent antibacterial activity is also reported [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. In addition, chitosan proved beneficial in guiding Schwann cells’ orientation, preserving the survival and differentiation of neuronal cells (commercial device, Reaxon ® ).…”

Synthesis, Characterization, and Antiproliferative Effect of CuO‐TiO2‐Chitosan‐Amygdalin Nanocomposites in Human Leukemic MOLT4 Cells

“…A 96-well clear bottom MTT plate was used to assess the cytotoxicity of amygdalin bimetallic nanocomposites to MOLT4 cells. A variety of doses (10,20,30,40,50, and 60 μg/ml) of amygdalin bimetallic nanocomposites were applied to MOLT4 cells for 24 hours after seeding into 96-well plates. Following the treatment period, cells were washed with sterile 1 X PBS at room temperature (RT) using centrifugation (1, 000 × g, 4 °C for 5 min), and 20 μl of MTT (0.5 mg/ml) was added to each well and incubated in the dark for 4 hours, with regular monitoring under an inverted microscope for the formation of blue-colored formazan crystals.…”

“…rough photocatalysis, it can be used for the treatment of wastewater in addition to having an adsorbent capacity [9]. In addition to healing wounds and wound regeneration, chitosan is antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and immunomodulatory, making it a suitable candidate for targeted therapy [10][11][12].…”

Use of Chitosan as Antimicrobial, Antiviral and Antipollution Agent in Textile Finishing

“…In addition, chitosan derivatives containing Schiff's base and a quaternary ammonium salt exhibit stronger antioxidant capability than chitosan due to the presence of hydroxyl and halogen groups [54]. The antioxidant capacity of ChSN can be regulated by adjusting its molecular weight, acetylation level, and the extent of chemical modification, thereby conferring tremendous application prospects in medical cosmetology and the treatment of soft tissue diseases [55].…”