Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibrillar Patch as a Wound Healing Platform of Tympanic Membrane Perforation

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC)-based biomaterials on medical device platforms have gained significant interest for tissue-engineered scaffolds or engraftment materials in regenerative medicine. In particular, BC has an ultrafine and highly pure nanofibril network structure and can be used as an efficient wound-healing platform since cell migration into a wound site is strongly meditated by the structural properties of the extracellular matrix. Here, the fabrication of a nanofibrillar patch by using BC and its application as a new wound-healing platform for traumatic tympanic membrane (TM) perforation is reported. TM perforation is a very common clinical problem worldwide and presents as conductive hearing loss and chronic perforations. The BC nanofibrillar patch can be synthesized from Gluconacetobacter xylinus; it is found that the patch contained a network of nanofibrils and is transparent. The thickness of the BC nanofibrillar patch is found to be approximately 10.33 ± 0.58 μm, and the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the BC nanofibrillar patch are 11.85 ± 2.43 and 11.90 ± 0.48 MPa, respectively, satisfying the requirements of an ideal wound-healing platform for TM regeneration. In vitro studies involving TM cells show that TM cell proliferation and migration are stimulated under the guidance of the BC nanofibrillar patch. In vivo animal studies demonstrate that the BC nanofibrillar patch promotes the rate of TM healing as well as aids in the recovery of TM function. These data demonstrate that the BC nanofibrillar patch is a useful wound-healing platform for TM perforation.

Bacterial nanocelullose in biomedical applications: a review

“…The experimental study on rats lasted 12 weeks. This experiment confirmed that after this time the functions of the tympanic membrane were recovered faster than in the classical method and the tympanic membrane healed more quickly in the presence of the BNC materials …”

A multipurpose natural and renewable polymer in medical applications: Bacterial cellulose

“…Recently, Kim et al (2013) reported the fabrication of a nanofibrillar patch by using BC as a wound-healing scaffold for TM perforation. BC is endowed with the expected properties of an ideal material for traumatic eardrum perforation repair: a nanostructured surface, biocompatibility, transparency, and appropriate mechanical.…”

Local Delivery of Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1α Improves the Pregnancy Rate of Injured Uterus through the Promotion of Endometrial and Vascular Regeneration

“…Silk fibroin and bacterial cellulose are two biological materials widely utilized in scaffold fabrication and tissue engineering (Kim et al, 2013;Tu et al, 2013). We fabricated the composite scaffold of SF and BC to synergize the strength of SF with the elasticity and water absorption properties of BC (Zhu et al, 2015).…”

“…Silk fibroin (SF)-based scaffolds have been widely utilized in bone repair, bladder regeneration and wound healing due to its good biocompatibility, mechanical properties, high plasticity and biodegradability (Tu et al, 2013). Bacterial cellulose (BC) is produced by certain types of bacteria and is characterized by good biocompatibility, high tensile strength, porosity, strong water absorption, making it suitable for tissue engineering of bone and nerve, repair of tympanic membrane perforation and vascular grafts (Gu et al, 2014;Kim et al, 2013). Recently, we have fabricated a composite scaffold of SF and BC that combined the mechanical strength of SF and water absorption properties of BC (Zhu et al, 2015).…”