Galectin-3/Gelatin Electrospun Scaffolds Modulate Collagen Synthesis in Skin Healing but Do Not Improve Wound Closure...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Immunology

Background:

• Chronic wounds persist in a pro-inflammatory state, hindering effective healing.
• Galectin-3, a lectin, influences macrophage behavior and epithelial cell movement.
• Strategies to promote re-epithelialization and proliferation are crucial for wound repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of local galectin-3 delivery using electrospun gelatin scaffolds for enhancing skin healing.
• To compare scaffold-based delivery with topical application of galectin-3.
• To assess the impact of galectin-3 on wound closure, re-epithelialization, and macrophage phenotypes in a mouse model.

Main Methods:

• Development of electrospun gelatin scaffolds loaded with galectin-3.
• Characterization of scaffold properties (fiber diameter, porosity, pore size).
• In vitro assessment of fibroblast interaction with scaffolds.
• In vivo evaluation of scaffold and topical galectin-3 treatment on full-thickness excisional wounds in C57BL/6 mice.

Main Results:

• Gelatin/galectin-3 scaffolds supported fibroblast adhesion, matrix deposition, and proliferation in vitro.
• Scaffold delivery did not improve wound closure or re-epithelialization but increased collagen synthesis.
• Topical galectin-3 (6.7 µg/mL) increased arginase-I cell density.
• Higher topical galectin-3 concentration (12.5 µg/mL) significantly enhanced epithelial migration and collagen content concentration-dependently.

Conclusions:

• Local delivery of galectin-3 via electrospun gelatin scaffolds showed limited efficacy in improving overall wound healing.
• Topical application of galectin-3 demonstrated a concentration-dependent potential to modulate skin healing processes.
• Further research into optimizing topical galectin-3 delivery strategies is warranted for chronic wound management.