A Prototype Skin Substitute, Made of Recycled Marine Collagen, Improves the Skin Regeneration of Sheep.
Skin wound healing is a complex and dynamic process that aims to restore lesioned tissues. Collagen-based skin substitutes are a promising treatment to promote wound healing by mimicking the native skin structure. Recently, collagen from marine organisms has gained interest as a source for producing biomaterials for skin regenerative strategies. This preliminary study aimed to describe the application of a collagen-based skin-like scaffold (CBSS), manufactured with collagen extracted from sea urchin food waste, to treat experimental skin wounds in a large animal. The wound-healing process was assessed over different time points by the means of clinical, histopathological, and molecular analysis. The CBSS treatment improved wound re-epithelialization along with cell proliferation, gene expression of growth factors (VEGF-A), and development of skin adnexa throughout the healing process. Furthermore, it regulated the gene expression of collagen type I and III, thus enhancing the maturation of the granulation tissue into a mature dermis without any signs of scarring as observed in untreated wounds. The observed results (reduced inflammation, better re-epithelialization, proper development of mature dermis and skin adnexa) suggest that sea urchin-derived CBSS is a promising biomaterial for skin wound healing in a "blue biotechnologies" perspective for animals of Veterinary interest.
['Melotti|Luca|L|0000-0001-7604-7209', 'Martinello|Tiziana|T|', 'Perazzi|Anna|A|', 'Iacopetti|Ilaria|I|', 'Ferrario|Cinzia|C|0000-0002-1804-4760', 'Sugni|Michela|M|0000-0002-4574-5802', 'Sacchetto|Roberta|R|', 'Patruno|Marco|M|0000-0001-5735-8837']
skin substitute marine collagen wound healing biomaterials sea urchin 3D scaffolds circular economy innovative therapies regenerative medicine tissue engineering