Gelatin and Collagen Nanofiber Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

One of the main complications that can present a person with second and third degree burns is the possibility of being infected by opportunistic bacteria or viruses that are present in the environment. Nowadays, the majority of the burn injuries are treated with conventional gauze, which involves a high probability of infection and pain for the patient being treated with this method. In order to obtain low-cost scaffolds, natural and abundant polymers were used such as gelatin (GEL) and collagen (COL). The GEL functions as a base scaffold, stable and flexible, and also biocompatible because it is a byproduct of the partial hydrolysis of COL, which is an indispensable component for the stability of the cell membrane and it is present in great extent in the human epithelium.