Investigation of Dermis-derived hydrogels for wound healing applications

C ell interactions with the extracellular matrices (ECM) in general and specifically with the dermal basement membrane (BM) play an important role in normal skin physiology and wound healing. [1]The BM is a sheet of fibrous extracellular material upon which the basal surfaces of epithelial cells rest.The degradation of existing matrix and synthesis of new BM is a limiting step in wound closure. [2]or this reason, ECM-based natural and synthetic materials have been investigated for applications in the regeneration or reconstruction of skin. [3,4]However, the materials investigated often feature ECM properties derived from areas other than skin.Materials that contain ECM features Background: Wound healing and skin tissue engineering are mediated, in part, by interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM).A subset of the ECM, basement membranes (BM), plays a vital role in regulating proper skin healing and function. Methods:ECM-rich, tissue-specific hydrogels were extracted and assembled from dermis samples.These hydrogels contain BM proteins vital to skin regeneration, including laminin β3, collagen IV, and collagen VII.The extracts could be assembled to form hydrogels by either temperature or pH mechanism, with the mechanical properties and structure varying with the mechanism of assembly.A wound healing model was developed to investigate the ability of these hydrogels to enhance healing with a single application in vivo. Results:The pH, but not temperature gels were easily applied to the wounds.There were no signs of increased inflammation due to the application of the hydrogels.The width of granulation tissue at the first week was reduced (p = 0.064) relative to controls with the application of hydrogel.There were no changes in wound closure rates or vessel density.Conclusions: Dermis-derived hydrogels contain BM proteins important for skin regeneration.They can be easily applied, but their poor mechanical strength and rapid degradation may hinder their biological effects.