Editorial: Advances in biofabrication for skin regeneration

Editorial on the Research Topic
Advances in biofabrication for skin regeneration

The development of TE-based skin substitutes is one of the most promising approaches to achieve efficient skin regeneration in the case of acute and chronic wounds (Ferreira et al., 2021; Dias et al., 2022). In fact, biofabrication strategies have demonstrated that is possible to produce advanced structures that mimic the morphology, properties, and functions of skin ECM, promoting faster and reliable wound healing (Dias et al., 2020).

This Research Topic includes interesting and innovative research papers that can lead to advances in the field of TE-based skin substitute development. Immediately after a skin injury occurs, a cascade of events begin, with haemostasis being the first. Thus, bleeding control and wound protection is crucial. In the study by Zhang et al., a carboxymethyl cellulose/carboxymethyl chitosan-polydopamine (CMC/CMCS-PDA) sponge exhibiting in vivo skin haemostasis and repair properties was developed. Additionally, it presented good antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The second research paper included in this Research Topic is the study by Wang et al., where 3D-printed egg white hydrogels promoting adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) adhesion and proliferation without cytotoxicity were developed. Furthermore, in vivo results showed the ability of these ASC-seeded hydrogels to accelerate wound healing through the enhancement of fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and collagen rearrangement in the wound bed. In another interesting clinical study, Xue et al. demonstrated the effectiveness of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF), produced via a simple two-centrifugation method combined with vacuum sealing drainage, in reducing wound inflammation and promoting scar formation in patients with chronic refractory wounds (CRW).

Another important aspect that should be considered when aiming to regenerate skin is wound infection, as the presence of a bacterial infection could delay the healing process. Considering that antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest global public health challenges of our time, the search for alternatives to antibiotics is crucial for wound management. Based on this, this Research Topic includes a review article by Alipoor et al., in which the bactericidal activity of hyaluronic acid (HA) was detailed together with a summary of the HA structure, its production and properties, and its various platforms as a carrier in drug delivery.

Overall, the reports presented in this Research Topic highlight the importance of advanced approaches to treat wounds, to promote haemostasis, and to develop new alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. As Research Topic Editors, we are deeply grateful to all the authors for their outstanding-quality research and to all the reviewers for their critical evaluations of the manuscripts.

Author contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

Funding

This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE 2020—Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funding through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, grant numbers: UIDB/04044/2020, UIDP/04044/2020, InnovaBIOMAS—2022.10564. PTDC, and INOV. AM—Inovação em fabricação aditiva (C644865234-00000004). Moreover, this study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant number 101079372.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

References

Dias, J. R., Ribeiro, N., Baptista-Silva, S., Costa-Pinto, A. R., Alves, N., and Oliveira, A. L. (2020). In situ enabling approaches for tissue regeneration: Current challenges and new developments. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 8, 85.

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Dias, J. R., Sousa, A., Augusto, A., Bártolo, P. J., and Granja, P. L. (2022). Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) degradation: An in vitro and in vivo study. Polymers 14 (16), 3397.

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Ferreira, C. A., Januário, A. P., Félix, R., Alves, N., Lemos, M. F., and Dias, J. R. (2021). Multifunctional gelatin/chitosan electrospun wound dressing dopped with Undaria pinnatifida phlorotannin-enriched extract for skin regeneration. Pharmaceutics 13 (12), 2152.

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar