Chitosan—A versatile semi-synthetic polymer in biomedical applications

Chitosan-based hydrogels for controlled, localized drug delivery

Chitosan-based biomaterials for tissue engineering

Biomaterials based on chitin and chitosan in wound dressing applications

Since its discovery approximately 200 years ago, chitosan, as a cationic natural polymer, has been widely used as a topical dressing in wound management owing to its hemostatic, stimulation of healing, antimicrobial, nontoxic, biocompatible and biodegradable properties. This article covers the antimicrobial and wound-healing effects of chitosan, as well as its derivatives and complexes, and its use as a vehicle to deliver biopharmaceuticals, antimicrobials and growth factors into tissue. Studies covering applications of chitosan in wounds and burns can be classified into in vitro, animal and clinical studies. Chitosan preparations are classified into native chitosan, chitosan formulations, complexes and derivatives with other substances. Chitosan can be used to prevent or treat wound and burn infections not only because of its intrinsic antimicrobial properties, but also by virtue of its ability to deliver extrinsic antimicrobial agents to wounds and burns. It can also be used as a slow-release drug-delivery vehicle for growth factors to improve wound healing. The large number of publications in this area suggests that chitosan will continue to be an important agent in the management of wounds and burns.

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Chitosan preparations for wounds and burns: antimicrobial and wound-healing effects

The use of physical hydrogels of chitosan for skin regeneration following third-degree burns

New Aspects of the Formation of Physical Hydrogels of Chitosan in a Hydroalcoholic Medium

The wet spinning of cytocompatible, bioresorbable, and knittable chitosan (CTS) monofilaments would be advantageous for a variety of surgical applications. The complexation capacity of chitosan with Cu2+ or Zn2+ can be leveraged to enhance its antibacterial activity, but not at the expense of cytocompatibility. In this work, a wet-spinning process was adapted for the in situ incorporation of Cu2+ or Zn2+ with chitosan dopes to produce monofilaments at different drawing ratios (τtot) with various cation/glucosamine molar ratios, evaluated in the fibers (rCu,f and rZn,f). Cytocompatibility and antibacterial activity of wet-spun monofilaments were, respectively, quantified by in vitro live-dead assays on balb 3T3 and by different evaluations of the proliferation inhibition of Staphylococcus epidermidis (Gram+) and Escherichia coli (Gram-). Knittability was tested by a specific tensile test using a knitting needle and evaluated with an industrial knitting machine. It was found that rCu,f = 0.01 and rZn,f = 0.03 significantly increase the antibacterial activity without compromising cytocompatibility. Wet spinning with τtot = 1.6 allowed the production of knittable CTS-Cu monofilaments, as confirmed by knitting assays under industrial conditions.

Cytocompatibility / Antibacterial Activity Trade-off for Knittable Wet-Spun Chitosan Monofilaments Functionalized by the In Situ Incorporation of Cu2+ and Zn2.

Nadège Boucard

Papers

The use of physical hydrogels of chitosan for skin regeneration following third-degree burns

The use of physical hydrogels of chitosan for skin regeneration following third-degree burns

New Aspects of the Formation of Physical Hydrogels of Chitosan in a Hydroalcoholic Medium

Cytocompatibility / Antibacterial Activity Trade-off for Knittable Wet-Spun Chitosan Monofilaments Functionalized by the In Situ Incorporation of Cu2+ and Zn2.