Photocurable films based on fibroin and gelatin for regeneration of skin cover

The search for new approaches for skin restoration is an urgent task of modern regenerative medicine. A promising area is the use of biocompatible materials. Designs from them can serve as the basis for biomedical products designed to replace damaged tissue, or serve as wound dressings. In this work, photopolymerized films based on silk fibroin and methacrylated gelatin (F-MG) were created. An in vitro study revealed that the use of films as a substrate for the cultivation of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and HaCaT keratinocytes leads to a change in the kinetics of cell growth. According to the MTT assay, the fibroblasts proliferation rate was lower on photopolymerized films, and keratinocytes’ one was higher compared to culture plastic. An assessment of the effect of the obtained films on skin regeneration was performed in vivo in a model of a full-layer wound of mouse skin. The use of F-MG films as wound dressings contributed to the acceleration of wound healing and a more complete restoration of the skin structure compared to control (use of gauze). In animals in the experimental group, the formation of hair follicles and the reduction in the scar area by 28 days were observed.

wound dressings, fibroin, methacrylated gelatin, photopolymerization, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, tissue engineering

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