Natural Polymer/Inorganic Material Based Hybrid Scaffolds for Skin Wound Healing

• Published in: Polymer reviews Vol. 55; no. 3; pp. 453 - 490
• Main Authors: Ninan, Neethu, Muthiah, Muthunarayanan, Park, In-Kyu, Wong, Tin Wui, Thomas, Sabu, Grohens, Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 03.07.2015
• Subjects: clay; mesoporous silica; metal; natural polymer; wound healing; zeolite
• ISSN: 1558-3724; 1558-3716
• DOI: 10.1080/15583724.2015.1019135

Dermal tissue engineering focuses on the restoration of diseased and damaged tissues by using a combination of cells, biomaterials, and bioactive molecules. Inorganic substances like zeolites, clay, mesoporous silica, metals, and metal oxides are advanced materials used in wound healing research. They can improve the structural stability and bioactivity of bio polymeric scaffolds. Zeolites, clays, and mesoporous silica act as suitable carriers for drug delivery and when incorporated within scaffolds, serve as ideal matrices for promoting skin regeneration. This review focuses on various natural polymers/inorganic materials based composite scaffolds used for skin tissue engineering, highlighting their synthesis routes and mode of action by which wound healing is enhanced. Among the different inorganic materials used, the role of zeolites incorporated biocomposites for promoting blood coagulation, antibacterial effect; oxygen delivery to cells and wound healing are discussed in detail. The article thus includes recent attempts to explore the hidden potential of inorganic materials in dermal tissue engineering.