Cell-free scaffold from jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Cnidaria; Scyphozoa) for skin tissue engineering

Disruption of the continuous cutaneous membrane in the integumentary system is considered a health problem of high cost for any nation. Several attempts have been made for developing skin substitutes in order to restore injured tissue including autologous implants and the use of scaffolds based on synthetic and natural materials. Current biomaterials used for skin tissue repair include several scaffold matrices types, synthetic or natural, absorbable, degradable or non-degradable polymers, porous or dense scaffolds, and cells capsulated in hydrogels or spheroids systems so forth. These materials have advantages and disadvantages and its use will depend on the desired application. Recently, marine organisms such as jellyfish have attracted renewed interest, because both its composition and structure resemble the architecture of human dermic tissue. In this context, the present study aims to generate scaffolds from Cassiopea andromeda (C. andromeda), with application in skin tissue engineering, using a decellularization process. The obtained scaffold was studied by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry analysis (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Crystal violet staining and DNA quantification assessed decellularization effectiveness while the biocompatibility of scaffold was determined with human dermic fibroblasts. Results indicated that the decellularization process reduce native cell population leading to 70% reduction in DNA content. In addition, SEM showed that the macro and microstructure of the collagen I-based scaffold were preserved allowing good adhesion and proliferation of human dermic fibroblasts. The C. andromeda scaffold mimics human skin and therefore represents great potential for skin tissue engineering.