title: Optimization, characterization, and efficacy evaluation of 2% chitosan scaffold for tissue engineering and wound healing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a chitosan-based scaffold and carry out a complete comprehensive study encompassing optimization of exact chitosan strength, product characterization, toxicity evaluation,in vitrovalidation in cell culture experiments, and finallyin vivoefficacy in animal excision wound model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Developed chitosan scaffolds (CSs) were optimized for tissue engineering and wound healing efficacy by means of microstructure, toxicity, and biocompatibility evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies revealed that porosity of CS decreased with increase in chitosan concentration. Chemical stability and integrity of scaffolds were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared studies. Highest swelling percentage (SP) of 500% was observed in 2%, while lowest (200%) was observed in 1% CS. Reabsorption and noncytotoxic property of optimized scaffold were established by enzymatic degradation and MTT assay. Enzymatic degradation suggested 20-45% of weight loss (WL) within 14 days of incubation. Cytotoxicity analysis showed that scaffolds were noncytotoxic against normal human dermal fibroblast human dermal fibroblast cell lines. Significant cellular adherence over the scaffold surface with normal cellular morphology was confirmed using SEM analysis.In vivoefficacy evaluation was carried out by means of reduction in wound size on Sprague-Dawley rats. Sprague-Dawley rats treated with optimized scaffold showed ~ 100% wound healing in comparison to ~80% healing in betadine-treated animals within 14 days. Histological examination depicted advance re-epithelization with better organization of collagen bundle in wound area treated with 2% CS in comparison to conventional treatment or no treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study, thus, reveals that 2% CSs were found to have a great potential in wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chhabra
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Aseem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
keywords: Chitosan; histopathology; scaffold; tissue engineering; wound healing