Fabrication and characterisation of Carboxymethyl Cellulose/Methyl Cellulose based Extracellular matrix composite films for chronic wound healing

Abstract

Most wounds heal following the normal biological process, but there are certain chronic wounds which fail to advance through the orderly and the well-timed reparative process. Such wounds require certain engineered tissue constructs to be implanted in the site, which mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). ECM based composite films can serve and provide a proper environment and assist in growth, maintenance and adherence of the cells present in it. These characteristics of ECM can be used to enhance the rate of wound healing. Here, we fabricated the methyl cellulose (MC) or Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) composite films with ECM in the ratio 5:0, 4:1, 3:2, 2:3,1:4 (w/w) respectively .The ECM was derived after decellularization of porcine omentum. Here we employed a combination of both: (a) Physical methods (blending and freeze-thawing) and (b) Chemical methods (SDS treatment) for the decellularization of porcine omentum. These films were characterized by FTIR, XRD and Swelling, water permeability, moisture analysis and hemocompatibility. MC films were found to have lesser crystallinity, more hemocompatibility, lesser thickness, higher rate of moisture absorption, more swelling ratio and lesser water vapor permeability than CMC films. Further in-vitro and in-vivo characterization needs to be done to conclude the outcome