title: Thermoresponsive chitosan-agarose hydrogel for skin regeneration.
abstract: Healing enhancement and pain control are critical issues on wound management. So far, different wound dressings have been developed. Among them, hydrogels are the most applied. Herein, a thermoresponsive hydrogel was produced using chitosan (deacetylation degree 95%) and agarose. Hydrogel bactericidal activity, biocompatibility, morphology, porosity and wettability were characterized by confocal microscopy, MTS assay and SEM. The performance of the hydrogel in the wound healing process was evaluated through in vivo assays, during 21 days. The attained results revealed that hydrogel has a pore size (90-400 μm) compatible with cellular internalization and proliferation. A bactericidal activity was observed for hydrogels containing more than 188 μg/mL of chitosan. The improved healing and the lack of a reactive or a granulomatous inflammatory reaction in skin lesions treated with hydrogel demonstrate its suitability to be used in a near future as a wound dressing.
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Miguel
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; UDI-IPG, Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Guarda, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maximiano P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brancal
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal; UDI-IPG, Research Unit for Inland Development, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Guarda, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6200-506 Covilhã, Portugal. Electronic address: icorreia@ubi.pt.
authors.forename: Ilídio J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001458:Bandages; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012685:Sepharose / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D012685:Sepharose; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Biocompatibility; Hydrogel; Skin substitutes; Wound healing