Development of Polyvinyl Alcohol-Carboxymethylcellulose-Sodium Alginate Polymeric Bilayer Scaffold by Combined 3D Printing and Electrospinning Techniques for Skin Tissue Engineering Application

Abstract

Being the largest organ of the body, the skin provides protection from external environmental factors, prevents microbial invasion, and maintains the hydration level of the body. Damages to the skin due to injuries, burns, and accidents make it difficult to restore the natural structure and functions of the skin. Traditional methods fell short of treating such injuries, leading to scars and discomfort and affecting the quality of life. In recent decades, skin tissue engineering has emerged as an alternative but promising technique for the treatment of skin damage. It is very challenging to restore critical damages like burns and accidents that affect the 2D or 3D geometry of the skin, resulting in damage to the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. To overcome this, a polymeric bilayer scaffold made with two layers with different properties was used to mimic the natural structure and function of the skin. In this study, a bilayer scaffold was fabricated by combining the electrospun scaffold made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with the 3D printed scaffold made of polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose, and sodium alginate (SA). The fabricated electrospun scaffold and 3D printed scaffold were combined and subjected to freeze-drying to develop a bilayer scaffold. The FESEM analysis of the bilayer scaffold shows the interconnectivity between two layers. The FTIR and XRD analyses were used to identify the functional groups and crystalline structure of the bilayer scaffold. The liquid displacement method of porosity testing gives an average porosity of 69%, which is close to the porosity of acellular dermal skin (68.3%± 5.8%). The swelling and degradation rates of bilayer scaffold were 104% and 61%, respectively. The mechanical strength of the bilayer scaffold was 1.135 ± 0.39 MPa. Because of these properties, the bilayer scaffold may be used in skin tissue engineering.