Bacterial cellulose in the field of wound healing and regenerative medicine of skin: recent trends and future prospectives

Abstract

In this overview, we focused on the bacterial cellulose (BC) applications, described in recently published scientific papers, in the field of skin regenerative medicine and wound care industry. Bacterial cellulose was proven to be biocompatible with living tissues. Moreover, its mechanical properties and porous structure are considered to be suitable for biomedical applications. It is due to the fact that porous structure of bacterial cellulose mimics the extracellular matrix of the skin. Moreover, it can also hold the incorporated drugs and other modifiers, which can modulate its properties improving the bacterial cellulose antimicrobial activity which is rather poor for native BC. Bacterial cellulose reveals high hydrophilic properties and never dries, which is a desired property, because it was proven that wounds heal better and faster when the wound is being constantly moisturized. This characteristic of bacterial cellulose indicates that it may successfully serve as wound dressings and skin tissue scaffolds.

Thermoresponsive hydrogels based on renewable resources

“…Kucin'ska‐Lipka et al . reported that there is a linear correlation between BC and swelling capacity . Luo proved that the density of crosslinker is an important control element on swelling behavior .…”

“…Together with these properties, high water retention capacity and its chemical modification capacity make it an ideal material for biomedical engineering applications. Therefore, it is believed that BC can be used in hydrogel synthesis because of its flexibility, elasticity, and biodegradability …”

pH‐Responsive Studies of Bacterial Cellulose /Chitosan Hydrogels Crosslinked with Genipin: Swelling and Drug Release Behaviour

“…BC has also been found to have received considerable attention in the field of biomedicine, because of its good biocompatibility properties . It may be employed in the manufacture for artificial blood vessels for microsurgery, scaffolds for tissue engineering, and wound dressing for burns or wound repair . BC exhibits high stability, low toxicity, non‐allergenicity and can be easily and safely sterilized.…”

Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Composite Films Based on Bacterial Cellulose and Chitosan for Wound Dressing Materials

“…Most often BC hydrogel film is applied in medicine as skin tissue repair and wound care materials due to its intrinsic nanofibrillated network structure [5]. It supports an optimum balance of humidity stimulating cell adhesion, is permeable for liquids and gases, can be painlessly applied and removed, absorbs decay products of tissues, and serves as almost insuperable physical barrier to infections [6].…”