Opportunities of Bacterial Cellulose to Treat Epithelial Tissues

Abstract

In this mini-review, we highlight the potential of the biopolymer bacterial cellulose to treat damaged epithelial tissues. Epithelial tissues are cell sheets that delimitate both the external body surfaces and the internal cavities and organs. Epithelia serve as physical protection to underlying organs, regulate the diffusion of molecules and ions, secrete substances and filtrate body fluids, among other vital functions. Because of their continuous exposure to environmental stressors, damage to epithelial tissues is highly prevalent. Here, we first compare the properties of bacterial cellulose to the current gold standard, collagen, and then we examine the use of bacterial cellulose patches to heal specific epithelial tissues; the outer skin, the ocular surface, the oral mucosa and other epithelial surfaces. Special emphasis is made on the dermis since, to date, this is the most widespread medical use of bacterial cellulose. It is important to note that some epithelial tissues represent only the outermost layer of more complex structures such as the skin or the cornea. In these situations, depending on the penetration of the lesion, bacterial cellulose might also be involved in the regeneration of, for instance, inner connective tissue.

Keywords: Biomaterials; bacterial cellulose; cell carrier; drug delivery; epithelial regeneration; epithelial tissues; wound dressing..

Fig. (1)

Schematic representation of the basic BC generation process steps. (A) Formation process of BC fleece during cultivation of K. xylinus in HS medium in Erlenmeyer flasks. (B) Metabolic pathway of cellulose formation. (C) BC produced in different shapes. (D) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) picture of BC porous middle layer depicting its three-dimensional fiber network. (E) Layered structure of a BC pellicle. (The color version of the figure is available in the electronic copy of the article).

Fig. (2)

(a) Schematic overview of the loading of BC with Poloxamers forming critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical gelation concentration (CGC) samples. (b) Photographs of octenidine and octenidine/Poloxamer loaded CMC and CGC BC samples and percentage uptake of octenidine (mean ± SD, n = 3) after incubation of fleeces for 48 h by Alkathib et al. reproduced with permission from Elsevier [91]. (The color version of the figure is available in the electronic copy of the article).

Fig. (3)

Schematic representation of the human eye anatomy and the targeted tissues treated with BC-based therapies. Image modified from [106]. (The color version of the figure is available in the electronic copy of the article).