Chitin, chitosan and derivatives for wound healing and tissue engineering

Naturally derived polymers possess a number of properties beneficial to wound healing and tissue engineering. The polysaccharides chitin and chitosan appear to be suitable candidates for the preparation of dressing materials and scaffolds for tissue regeneration due to their unique structural, physico-chemical and functional properties. Functionalization of these biopolymers for improvement of properties such as solubility or introduction of active functions and blending with other intrinsically bioactive polymers has attracted considerable attention in recent years. Such modifications would allow going beyond traditional approaches for treatments of dermal injuries. This chapter is a critical review of the advances in chitin and chitosan functionalization for wound-healing and tissue-engineering applications.