Chitosan: Tissue Engineering And Wound Dressing Applications

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field of research which focuses on biological and bioactive substitutes. Chitosan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide demonstrating excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability along with antioxidant, antibacterial, and wound healing properties. The presence of amino and hydroxyl groups also allows various chemical and physical modifications in order to achieve a broad range of materials with diverse structures and applications. Therefore, the structure-property relationship of chitosan derivatives can be designed by chemical modifications, blending, and physical and chemical cross-linking methodologies. Three-dimensional structures of chitosan such as hydrogels and porous scaffolds are able to accommodate cells for tissue engineering purposes. Moreover, chitosan allows the loading of various biological molecules such as growth factors, which are applicable in the regeneration of tissues such as skin, cartilage, and bone. In addition, chitosan has the potential to be processed into various forms of films, membranes, nanofibrous mats, and porous sponges for wound dressing applications. Wound healing properties of chitosan and its derivatives have resulted in the generation of various forms of versatile dressings with tunable properties. Several therapeutics such as antibiotics, antimicrobials, and growth factors are integrated with chitosan dressings in order to make the wound healing process more rapid and efficient.