title: Temporary skin grafts based on hybrid graphene oxide-natural biopolymer nanofibers as effective wound healing substitutes: pre-clinical and pathological studies in animal models.
abstract: In recent years, temporary skin grafts (TSG) based on natural biopolymers modified with carbon nanostructures have received considerable attention for wound healing. Developments are required to improve physico-mechanical properties of these materials to match to natural skins. Additionally, in-deep pre-clinical examinations are necessary to ensure biological performance and toxicity effect in vivo. In the present work, we show superior acute-wound healing effect of graphene oxide nanosheets embedded in ultrafine biopolymer fibers (60 nm) on adult male rats. Nano-fibrous chitosan-based skin grafts crosslinked by Genepin with physico-mechanical properties close to natural skins were prepared by electrospinning of highly concentrated chitosan- polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions containing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. No surfactants and organic solvents were utilized to ensure high biocompatibility of the fibrous structure. In vitro evaluations by human skin fibroblast cells including live and dead assay and MTT results show that GO promote cell viability of porous nanofibrous membrane while providing enhanced bactericidal capacity. In vivo studies on rat's skin determine accelerated healing effect, i.e. a large open wound (1.5 × 1.5 cm2) is fully regenerated after 14-day of post operation while healing is observed for sterile gauze sponge (as the control). Pathological studies support thick dermis formation and complete epithelialization in the presence of 1.5 wt% GO nanosheets. Over 99% wound healing occurs after 21 days for the injury covered with TSG containing 1.5 wt% GO while this would takes weeks for the control. Therefore, the developed materials have a high potential to be used as TSG as pre-clinical testing has shown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box11155-9161, Azadi Avenue, Tehran, 14588, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Textile Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eslahi
authors.affiliation: Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehdipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box11155-9161, Azadi Avenue, Tehran, 14588, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.|Department of Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samadikuchaksaraei
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box11155-9161, Azadi Avenue, Tehran, 14588, Iran. simchi@sharif.edu.|Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology, P. O. Box 11365-9466, Azadi Avenue, Tehran, 14588, Iran. simchi@sharif.edu.
authors.forename: A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9111-2977
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D023421:Models, Animal; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D006108:Graphite; D048271:Chitosan