Chitosan and Gelatin as Engineered Dressing for Wound Repair

A therapeutic support for the less effective steps in skin’s recovery should improve reparative capacity. A morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of tissue repair in rats in the presence of chitosan glycolate gel and cross-linked gelatin wound dressings was conducted and compared. In chitosan-treated animals, the repaired dermis preserved high cellularity with mesenchymal features associated with a rich vascular network. These aspects were less marked in the presence of Phytostimuline gauze or gelatin. The hydrophilic properties of chitosan are clearly demonstrated by the high level of hydration observed in the neoformed tissue. The chitosan gel was able to modulate the early steps of wound healing. Cross-linked gelatin represents an active dressing for the more dystrophic wounded tissues often associated with aging and systemic disease.