Natural Polymer/Inorganic Material Based Hybrid Scaffolds for Skin Wound Healing

Abstract

Dermal tissue engineering focuses on the restoration of diseased and damaged tissues by using a combination of cells, biomaterials, and bioactive molecules. Inorganic substances like zeolites, clay, mesoporous silica, metals, and metal oxides are advanced materials used in wound healing research. They can improve the structural stability and bioactivity of bio polymeric scaffolds. Zeolites, clays, and mesoporous silica act as suitable carriers for drug delivery and when incorporated within scaffolds, serve as ideal matrices for promoting skin regeneration. This review focuses on various natural polymers/inorganic materials based composite scaffolds used for skin tissue engineering, highlighting their synthesis routes and mode of action by which wound healing is enhanced. Among the different inorganic materials used, the role of zeolites incorporated biocomposites for promoting blood coagulation, antibacterial effect; oxygen delivery to cells and wound healing are discussed in detail. The article thus includes recent attempts to explore the hidden potential of inorganic materials in dermal tissue engineering.

Low‐methoxyl pectin–zeolite hydrogels controlling drug release promote in vitro wound healing

“…Glycerol, commonly employed in hydrogel preparation for biomedical applications, was used in this study as a plasticizer to reduce the number of internal hydrogen bonding on polymer chains while increasing the molecular volume, which results in film flexibility. ZnA and NaA zeolite particles were used to serve as a membrane core (drug loading entity) and may also play role in enhancing the stability of the films by making long‐range molecular interactions with the polymer chains …”

“…Zeolites have been incorporated into biopolymeric films for topical applications to promote burn wound healing . Zeolites embedded within polymeric scaffolds can enhance oxygen delivery to cells . Additionally, they have generally been observed to exhibit bioactivity and biocompatibility .…”

Current Advancements and Strategies in Tissue Engineering for Wound Healing: A Comprehensive Review

“…125 Currently, opinions in such research are turning toward the use of both organic and inorganic composite materials that are combined together to create a hybrid scaffold for skin tissue engineering. 126 Organic scaffold components address the need for biological proteins to provide a favorable environment for cells to proliferate and differenti-ate; whereas inorganic components may facilitate manufacture process and quality control.…”

An Extracellular Matrix‐Mimicking Hydrogel for Full Thickness Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice

“…The commonly used treatment options include wound debridement, drug therapy, cell therapy, tissue engineering scaffolds, and radiation . In particular, scaffold materials are often used in combination with other therapies to accelerate healing and to reduce scar formation . According to the guidelines for chronic wound care, typical treatment options for diabetic ulcer include: 1) infection control; 2) wound bed debridement and cleansing; and 3) applying appropriate dressing materials .…”