Biopolymers in Textile-Based Scaffolding and Wound Healing

Biopolymers are made from natural proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. These materials have become increasingly popular in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, offering several advantages over synthetic materials. Additionally, biopolymers have been used in various fields, including biomedicine, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. Textile-based scaffolds are a biomaterial used in tissue engineering to support the growth and regeneration of damaged cells and tissues. These scaffolds typically comprise fibres or threads, which can be woven or knitted into various configurations, such as gauzes, meshes, tubes, or sheets. Moreover, textile-based wound dressings are one of the most common forms, and biopolymers have been incorporated into these dressings to improve their property. Biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, collagen, silk fibroin, yarns, and sutures have been successfully used in fabrications of textile-based wound dressings. Textile-based scaffolds and biopolymer wound dressings have shown several advantages over traditional dressings. These dressings provide a moist environment that supports healing, protects wounds from external factors, and promotes tissue regeneration. Moreover, biocompatibility and ease of degradability significantly reduce the risk of infection and facilitate the healing process. Therefore, biopolymers have great potential for use in textile-based scaffold and wound dressing, with several benefits for skin tissue regeneration and overall improvement in the outcome of wound management. This chapter discusses the fabrication of biopolymer-based scaffolds and wound dressings with their characterization.