Naturally Formed Chitinous Skeleton Isolated from the Marine Demosponge Aplysina fistularis as a 3D Scaffold for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Tissue engineering (TE) is a field of regenerative medicine that has been experiencing a special boom in recent years. Among various materials used as components of 3D scaffolds, naturally formed chitinous materials seem to be especially attractive because of their abundance, non-toxic and eco-friendly character. In this study, chitinous skeleton isolated from the marine sponge Aplysina fistularis (phylum: Porifera) was used for the first time as a support for the cultivation of murine fibroblasts (Balb/3T3), human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF), human keratinocyte (HaCaT), and human neuronal (SH-SY5Y) cells. Characterization techniques such as ATR FTIR, TGA, and μCT, clearly indicate that an interconnected macro-porous, thermostable, pure α-chitin scaffold was obtained after alkali–acid treatment of air-dried marine sponge. The biocompatibility of the naturally formed chitin scaffolds was confirmed by cell attachment and proliferation determined by various microscopic methods (e.g., SEM, TEM, digital microscopy) and specific staining. Our observations show that fibroblasts and keratinocytes form clusters on scaffolds that resemble a skin structure, including the occurrence of desmosomes in keratinocyte cells. The results obtained here suggest that the chitinous scaffold from the marine sponge A. fistularis is a promising biomaterial for future research about tissues regeneration.

Biocatalytic System Made of 3D Chitin, Silica Nanopowder and Horseradish Peroxidase for the Removal of 17α-Ethinylestradiol: Determination of Process Efficiency and Degradation Mechanism

“…The microstructure of chitinous matrix from A. Fistularis marine sponge skeleton is presented in Figure 1. The typical microporous sponge morphology of the chitinous fibers-based scaffold [30,44] after isolation process can be observed. Moreover, it could be seen that the single fibers' diameter range is 75-100 µm.…”

“…The differences in immobilization efficiency may be related to the applied immobilization method and various porosity of supports used. In the case of the nanoSiO 2 (HRP) EE2 removal system, the enzyme was immobilized by adsorption and further cross-linking onto nanoporous material, whereas HRP, immobilized onto a chitin scaffold, was attached by adsorption onto a support with interconnected macropores [29,30,43,44]. What is more, chitinous fibers are characterized by a three-dimensional open structure which maintains effective HRP enzyme immobilization.…”

“…For instance, Wysokowski and co-authors synthesized advanced functional materials, such as chitin-ZrO 2 [26], chitin-GeO 2 [27] or chitin-(Ti,Zr)O 2 composites [28] in terms of their photoluminescent, catalytic and photocatalytic properties. Moreover, these natural biopolymers, in the form of threedimensional scaffolds, were used as green adsorbent of environmental pollutants [29] or regenerative medicine assays [30][31][32][33][34]. Chitin owes its versatility to the presence of numerous functional groups typical for this structural aminopolysaccharide, mainly carbonyl and hydroxyl groups [35], which provide valuable possibilities for instance for enzyme binding and offer a wide range of modification possibilities [36,37].…”

Combining Biocompatible and Biodegradable Scaffolds and Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Chronic Wound Regeneration

“…Large scale isolation can be performed from marine sponges and seafood or fungal biomass. The advantages as well as challenges of chitinous materials include the isolation process and cryopreservation [13,14]. Machalowski et al recently described moulting cuticles of spiders as an alternative source of naturally occurring chitin [15].…”

Research Progress of Chitosan-Based Biomimetic Materials

“…In recent years, it has been widely used in many fields, such as tissue engineering, wound healing, drug transportation, adhesives, and adsorption materials, due to its good biocompatibility and biodegradability, safety and non-toxicity, broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, and hemostasis. Additionally, it is easy to process it into gels, membranes, nanofibers, stents, and other forms [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”