Fabrication of Electrospun Poly (Lactic Acid) - Amnion Nanofibrous Membrane for Wound Healing Application

The amnion constitutes the deepest layer of fetal membranes, shaping a sac that contains amniotic fluid, thereby surrounding and protecting the developing embryo. The human amniotic membrane (AM) is the innermost layer of the three layers that forms the membrane surrounding the fetus, which itself consists of five layers: Cuboidal epithelium layer, Thick basement membrane, Compact layer, Fibroblastic layer an Spongy layer. The amniotic epithelial cells produce numerous cytokines/factors known to promote cell proliferation and differentiation. As reported by several authors, even after deepithelialization and sterilization of the membrane, at least some of these biologically active factors may remain bound to components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). These components include glycoproteins; proteoglycans; collagen fibers, mainly types I, III and IV; and large amounts of polymeric hyaluronan.AM has been widely used in the treatment of abdominal and pelvic adhesions, ophthalmic surgery, and chronic skin ulcers, due to their low immunogenicity. This tissue was first used in skin grafting in ۱۹۱۰. Since then, there have been numerous reports of the outstanding impact of this membrane in different fields of tissue engineering. It is not fully understood how exactly AM accelerates the healing process of the damaged tissue, but what is certain is that the structural and biochemical effects of the membrane, due to the great similarity between natural skin and AM as well as the presence of numerous growth factors, cytokines, anti-inflammatory factors, angiogenic factors, anti-scar factors, antimicrobial peptides, etc., are the main reasons for its unique properties. Despite all the remarkable features of AM as a suitable skin substitute, its poor mechanical properties and high biodegradability have limited its application as a skin graft. Considering this issue, it is suggested that the AM can be used in combination with some materials that have stronger mechanical properties. Hence, its combination with biocompatible synthetic polymers can be one of the strategies. In this study, an electrospun poly(lactic acid) (PLA)- AM nanofibrous membrane was prepared and characterized as a wound dressing. The results indicated that fibrous membrane based on PLA- AM has great potential to be used in wound healing applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

Amniotic membrane (AM) ، Composite membrane ، Electrospinning ، Nanofibers ، Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) ، Wound healing