Feature Article
Chitosan-based biomaterials for tissue engineering

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2012.12.009Get rights and content
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Abstract

Derived from chitin, chitosan is a unique biopolymer that exhibits outstanding properties, beside biocompatibility and biodegradability. Most of these peculiar properties arise from the presence of primary amines along the chitosan backbone. As a consequence, this polysaccharide is a relevant candidate in the field of biomaterials, especially for tissue engineering. The current article highlights the preparation and properties of innovative chitosan-based biomaterials, with respect to their future applications. The use of chitosan in 3D-scaffolds – as gels and sponges – and in 2D-scaffolds – as films and fibers – is discussed, with a special focus on wound healing application.

Highlights

► The remarkable properties of chitosan are discussed in relation to its structure. ► Processing of chitosan as 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering is reported. ► Preparation of films and membranes of chitosan for wound dressing is described.

Keywords

Chitosan scaffolds
Biomaterials
Tissue engineering
Wound healing

Cited by (0)

Florence Croisier received her master’s degree in chemical sciences from the University of Liège (ULg, Belgium) in 2007. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Christine Jérôme in the Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (ULg, Belgium). Her research focuses on the preparation of chitosan-based nanofibers with multilayered structure, using a combination of electrospinning and layer-by-layer deposition techniques.

Christine Jérôme completed her PhD on conjugated polymers for aqueous waste treatments in 1998 at the University of Liege, Belgium and then worked as a post-dosctoral researcher on developing the electrografting process of acrylates. In 2000, she joined the University of Ulm in Germany as a recipient of the Humboldt scholarship and studied the synthesis of functional magnetic nanohybrids. She returned to the University of Liege in 2001 as Research Associate of the National Foundation of the Scientific Research in the group of Professor R. Jérôme, where she became Professor in 2006 and director of the Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules in 2007. Today full Professor, her research interests include biosourced polymers, functional macromolecular systems and advanced biomaterials.

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