Melanin and Melanin-Like Hybrid Materials in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Melanins are a group of dark insoluble pigments found widespread in nature. In mammals, the brown-black eumelanins and the reddish-yellow pheomelanins are the main determinants of skin, hair, and eye pigmentation and play a significant role in photoprotection as well as in many biological functions ensuring homeostasis. Due to their broad-spectrum light absorption, radical scavenging, electric conductivity, and paramagnetic behavior, eumelanins are widely studied in the biomedical field. The continuing advancements in the development of biomimetic design strategies offer novel opportunities toward specifically engineered multifunctional biomaterials for regenerative medicine. Melanin and melanin-like coatings have been shown to increase cell attachment and proliferation on different substrates and to promote and ameliorate skin, bone, and nerve defect healing in several in vivo models. Herein, the state of the art and future perspectives of melanins as promising bioinspired platforms for natural regeneration processes are highlighted and discussed.

Melanin, the What, the Why and the How: An Introductory Review for Materials Scientists Interested in Flexible and Versatile Polymers

“…Furthermore, it can enhance healing in skin, bone and nerve defects in model in vivo systems. For an excellent, recent review on this aspect of melanin materials, please consult Cavallini et al [149].…”

Fungal melanin as a biocompatible broad-spectrum sunscreen with high antioxidant activity

“…27 Due to its intrinsic multifunctional behavior, numerous studies have been carried out to utilize melanin in the dermo-cosmetic and biomedical elds. 28 Fungal melanin, among various sources of melanin, can be a promising candidate for a bio-inspired sunscreen with antioxidant activity because it is environmentally sustainable and industrially scalable. 29 Compared to synthetic sunscreens, which entail complex procedures with many ingredients, the preparation of bio-inspired sunscreens is relatively simple and requires natural raw materials.…”

Fungal Melanins and Applications in Healthcare, Bioremediation and Industry

“…Fungal melanin has also been implicated to have potential use in the functional biointerfaces used for stem cell manipulation [ 66 ]. Eumelanins were proposed for this purpose due to their antioxidant and electrical properties.…”

“…However, eumelanin can be vulnerable to degradation from alkaline or oxidative stress. Manini et al propose the alternative use of fungal allomelanins, citing the material’s resistance to degradation and smoothness [ 66 ]. Such a mycomelanin film was able to encourage the differentiation of stem cells towards an endodermal lineage [ 66 ].…”