EPITHELIAL TISSUE ENGINEERING: FROM DEVELOPING SCAFFOLDS TO CLINICAL TESTS

– With the increasing growth of populations prone to wound healing complications there is an urgent need for novel strategies to treat this biomedical burden. A therapeutic approach of particular relevance is Tissue Engineering. It is considered a promising biomedical technology, which aids the regeneration of injured tissues. Bacterial Cellulose (BC) synthesized by Gluconacetobacter hansenii is an excellent platform for epithelial tissue engineering and it is reported to function as a scaffold for the regeneration of a variety of tissues. Our group is focused on the development of biologically and physiologically competent BC biomembranes to be applied for tissue repair strategies. Efficient BC composites were successfully developed and pre-clinical studies were performed. The pre-clinical results confirmed the good potential of the developed BC biomembranes as a compatible engineered scaffold and contributed for a better understanding of its promising application in clinical tests.