Tympanic membrane regeneration using a water-soluble chitosan patch.
Chronic otitis media or tympanic membrane (TM) perforation is one of the most common otologic diseases. Surgical tympanoplasty remains the best treatment option despite the fact that paper patches are frequently used. Although paper patches are not biocompatible or effective, tympanoplasty is an expensive, complex surgery. Tissue engineering techniques offer a new treatment strategy for TM regeneration. In this study, novel tissue-engineered artificial eardrums were fabricated from water-soluble chitosan, which is known to be a good wound-healing biomaterial. The characteristics, cytotoxicity, and healing effects of several water-soluble chitosan patches (WSCPs) made using various concentrations of water-soluble chitosan and glycerol were investigated. The optimal WSCP was fabricated with 3% water-soluble chitosan and 3% glycerol, and it had a thickness of about 35 mum, a tensile strength of 7 MPa, a percent elongation of 101%, a hydrophilic surface, and no cytotoxicity. In vivo studies showed that the WSCPs were more effective than spontaneous healing for the repair of traumatic TM perforations. The healed TMs to which WSCPs were applied had a much higher density of collagen fibers and a better lamina propria layer structure than spontaneously healed TMs.
Kim
Jang Ho
JH
Department of Biosystems & Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Choi
Seong Jun
SJ
Park
Jung-Sub
JS
Lim
Ki Taek
KT
Choung
Pill-Hoon
PH
Kim
Seung Won
SW
Lee
Jong Bin
JB
Chung
Jong Hoon
JH
Choung
Yun-Hoon
YH
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012038:Regeneration; D012995:Solubility; D014432:Tympanic Membrane; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D048271:Chitosan