Pectin-chitosan membrane scaffold imparts controlled stem cell adhesion and proliferation

Processing stable polysaccharide membranes with suitable mechanical properties has been challenging for applications in wound healing and tissue engineering. Here we expand the characterization of pectin/chitosan (PT/CS) membranes (without covalent crosslinking), which we recently reported. Membranes containing pectin (PT) excess were formed, and PT/CS ratio can be tuned to enhance the mechanical strength, and to modulate hydrophilicity and cytocompatibility. The surface wettability and swelling properties of the polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) played an important role to promote the attachment of stem cells. These PECs membranes have ultimate tensile strength similar to that of human skin, which is on the order of ten times higher than similar previously reported polysaccharide materials. We show for the first time that these new PT/CS membranes may promote anchorage, adhesion and support human stem cell growth, making them candidate materials for tissue engineering purposes.