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Fabrication and Characterization of Bilayer Scaffolds - Nanocellulosic Cryogels - for Skin Tissue Engineering by Co-Culturing of Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes Publisher Pubmed



Ghafari R1 ; Jonoobi M1, 2 ; Naijian F3 ; Ashori A4 ; Mekonnen TH2 ; Taheri AR5
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Wood and Paper Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, ON, Canada
  3. 3. Department of Biorefinery Engineering, Faculty of New Technologies and Energy Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Mazandaran, Zirab, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Chemical Technologies, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Plastic Surgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules Published:2022


Abstract

This study focuses on developing a microarchitectural bilayer structure for stimulating the two top layers of skin tissue (epidermis and dermis) fabricated using a one-step freeze-drying method. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and poly (vinyl) alcohol (PVA) were used as a biocompatible scaffolding material, and the composition was designed in such a way that it provides physical and biological property attributes. In this work, scaffolding materials with integrated layer structures and well interconnected and open pore structures were obtained. This bilayer structure had porosity with a pore size of 19.72 μm and 90.71 μm for the simulation of the epidermis and dermis, respectively. The production and expression of laminin, collagen IV, and keratin 10 proteins in the bilayer cryogel scaffolds obtained from the immunofluorescence study were 49.7 %, 63.8 %, and 49.3 %, respectively. The extracellular matrix (ECM) was produced in each scaffold layer. The observations confirmed that the porosity and pore size of both N1 and N2 layers were appropriate for the fibroblast and keratinocyte cells, respectively. H&E stained cross-sections of bilayer cryogel scaffolds illustrated epidermal and dermal layers produced by co-culturing keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Based on the results, the bilayer CNF/PVA scaffold can be used in skin tissue engineering applications. However, more experiments and in vivo evaluations are needed to express this conclusion more accurately. © 2022