The Future Prospects of Microbial Cellulose in Biomedical Applications

Abstract

Microbial cellulose has proven to be a remarkably versatile biomaterial and can be used in wide variety of applied scientific endeavors, such as paper products, electronics, acoustics, and biomedical devices. In fact, biomedical devices recently have gained a significant amount of attention because of an increased interest in tissue-engineered products for both wound care and the regeneration of damaged or diseased organs. Due to its unique nanostructure and properties, microbial cellulose is a natural candidate for numerous medical and tissue-engineered applications. For example, a microbial cellulose membrane has been successfully used as a wound-healing device for severely damaged skin and as a small-diameter blood vessel replacement. The nonwoven ribbons of microbial cellulose microfibrils closely resemble the structure of native extracellullar matrices, suggesting that it could function as a scaffold for the production of many tissue-engineered constructs. In addition, microbial cellulose membranes, having a unique nanostructure, could have many other uses in wound healing and regenerative medicine, such as guided tissue regeneration (GTR), periodontal treatments, or as a replacement for dura mater (a membrane that surrounds brain tissue). In effect, microbial cellulose could function as a scaffold material for the regeneration of a wide variety of tissues, showing that it could eventually become an excellent platform technology for medicine. If microbial cellulose can be successfully mass produced, it will eventually become a vital biomaterial and will be used in the creation of a wide variety of medical devices and consumer products.

Bacterial Cellulose As a Support for the Growth of Retinal Pigment Epithelium

“…15,16 The combination of BC unique structural and mechanical properties, with biocompatibility, moldability in situ, permeability for gas and fluid exchange, high hydrophilicity, transparency and non-toxicity make it an attractive candidate for biomedical applications. [16][17][18][19][20][21] BC has proven to be a versatile biomaterial, and particularly interesting for tissue-engineered products towards both wound care and regeneration of damaged or diseased organs. 16,17,22 Its unique properties have sustained the elevator pitch of several BC applications, especially in the biomedical field, where temporary skin substitutes and artificial blood vessels appear as patented products (such as Biofill and BASYC).…”

“…[16][17][18][19][20][21] BC has proven to be a versatile biomaterial, and particularly interesting for tissue-engineered products towards both wound care and regeneration of damaged or diseased organs. 16,17,22 Its unique properties have sustained the elevator pitch of several BC applications, especially in the biomedical field, where temporary skin substitutes and artificial blood vessels appear as patented products (such as Biofill and BASYC). Recent studies on the potential use of BC as a biomaterial include artificial skin 17 , vascular grafts 20,23,24 , conduits in urinary reconstruction and diversion 25 , cartilage replacement 26 , bone regeneration 27 , artificial cornea 28 , tissue engineering hydrogels 29 and scaffolds 30 .…”

Acetic Acid Bacteria: Physiology and Carbon Sources Oxidation

“…Acetan formation seems to influence the degree of polymerization and crystallinity of the cellulose fibrils [55]. Production of exopolysaccharides especially cellulose from AAB seems to be a promising area of application because of the increasing need of pure cellulose in medical and engineering fields [18].…”

Cellulose Nanopaper Structures of High Toughness

“…9 However, ref 8 illustrates that cellulose nanofibril networks have potential as high-performance materials and not only as low cost biocomposites. This impression is strengthened by the use of nanostructured cellulose networks in biomedical applications 10,11 and in transparent materials for high-technology applications. 12 In our laboratory, we have prepared cellulose nanofibrils from wood pulp.…”