Bacterial Cellulose: Long-Term Biocompatibility Studies

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Renata A N Pertile (Author) Other; Susana Moreira (Author) Other; Gil da Costa, R. M. (Author) FEUP; Alexandra Correia (Author) ICBAS; Luisa Guardao (Author) Other; Fatima Gartner (Author) ICBAS; Manuel Vilanova (Author) ICBAS; Miguel Gama (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition

Vol. 23 No. 10

Pages: 1339-1354

ISSN: 0920-5063

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 100 Citations

Scopus - 109 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Environmental biotechnology

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-FR1

DOI: 10.1163/092050611x581516

Abstract (EN): The bacterial cellulose (BC) secreted by Gluconacetobacter xylinus is a network of pure cellulose nanofibres which has high crystallinity, wettability and mechanical strength. These characteristics make BC an excellent material for tissue-engineering constructs, noteworthy for artificial vascular grafts. In this work, the in vivo biocompatibility of BC membranes produced by two G. xylinus strains was analyzed through histological analysis of long-term subcutaneous implants in the mice. The BC implants caused a mild and benign inflammatory reaction that decreased along time and did not elicit a foreign body reaction. A tendency to calcify over time, which may be related to the porosity of the BC implants, was observed, especially among the less porous BC-1 implants. In addition, the potential toxicity of BC nanofibres - obtained by chemical-mechanical treatment of BC membranes - subcutaneously implanted in mice was analysed through bone marrow flow cytometry and histological analyses. At 2 and 4 months post-implantation, the nanofibres implants were found to accumulate intracellularly, in subcutaneous foamy macrophages aggregates. Moreover, no differences were observed between the controls and implanted animals in thymocyte populations and in B lymphocyte precursors and myeloid cells in the bone marrow. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2011

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 16