[Decellularized fish skin: characteristics that support tissue repair].

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials science
• Tissue engineering
• Regenerative medicine

Context:

• Chronic wounds represent a growing global health challenge, particularly with the increasing prevalence of diabetes.
• Acellular fish skin derived from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is emerging as a promising therapeutic material for wound healing.
• Understanding the biocompatibility and biological properties of this xenograft is crucial for its clinical application.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the biocompatibility and biological characteristics of acellular fish skin for tissue repair applications.
• To assess the structural, protein, inflammatory, and angiogenic properties of the acellular fish skin graft.

Summary:

• Microscopy revealed a porous structure in acellular fish skin, confirmed as biocompatible by laboratory testing.
• Protein analysis identified collagens (115-130 kDa).
• The material showed no significant impact on pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion (IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-6, TNF-α) and demonstrated significant angiogenic potential in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay.

Impact:

• Acellular fish skin is non-toxic and unlikely to induce inflammatory responses, making it a safe option for wound treatment.
• The graft contains collagen I, promotes angiogenesis, and facilitates cellular infiltration, supporting tissue regeneration.
• Compared to mammalian-derived grafts, it presents a lower disease transmission risk and retains more bioactive compounds due to gentler processing.