title: Marine-derived collagen biomaterials from echinoderm connective tissues.
abstract: The use of marine collagens is a hot topic in the field of tissue engineering. Echinoderms possess unique connective tissues (Mutable Collagenous Tissues, MCTs) which can represent an innovative source of collagen to develop collagen barrier-membranes for Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). In the present work we used MCTs from different echinoderm models (sea urchin, starfish and sea cucumber) to produce echinoderm-derived collagen membranes (EDCMs). Commercial membranes for GTR or soluble/reassembled (fibrillar) bovine collagen substrates were used as controls. The three EDCMs were similar among each other in terms of structure and mechanical performances and were much thinner and mechanically more resistant than the commercial membranes. Number of fibroblasts seeded on sea-urchin membranes were comparable to the bovine collagen substrates. Cell morphology on all EDCMs was similar to that of structurally comparable (reassembled) bovine collagen substrates. Overall, echinoderms, and sea urchins particularly, are alternative collagen sources to produce efficient GTR membranes. Sea urchins display a further advantage in terms of eco-sustainability by recycling tissues from food wastes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: cinzia.ferrario@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrario
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: livio.leggio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leggio
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: roberta.leone1986@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: cristiano.dibenedetto1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: luca.guidetti@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guidetti
authors.affiliation: Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Maxillofacial and Dental Unit, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Via Commenda, 10, 20122, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: 82.valentina@libero.it.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coccè
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: miriam.ascagni@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ascagni
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.bonasoro@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonasoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: caterina.laporta@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Caterina A M
authors.initials: CAM
authors.lastname: La Porta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.candia@unimi.it.
authors.forename: M Daniela
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Candia Carnevali
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 26, 20133, Milan, Italy; Center for Complexity and Biosystems, University of Milan, Via Celoria, 16, 20133, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: michela.sugni@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004447:Echinodermata
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials
keywords: Alternative biomaterial; By-product valorisation; Echinoderms; Environmental impact; Guided tissue regeneration; Human fibroblast culture; Marine collagen; Mutable collagenous tissues; “Blue” biotechnology