Repair of rat skin defects using decellularized skin matrix/chitosan hybrid hydrogels

Full-thickness skin wounds pose a substantial clinical challenge and burden in the medical field. Currently, skin tissue engineering is a promising approach with broad potential applications in the treatment of skin defects. Decellularized skin matrix (DSM) have been extensively utilized as scaffolds in skin tissue engineering because of their complex spatial organization and ability to facilitate the attachment of cells that secrete active cytokines. Herein, DSM/chitosan hybrid hydrogels with different DSM:chitosan ratios (DSM/Chitosan-1, 8:2; DSM/Chitosan-2, 5:5; and DSM/Chitosan-3, 2:8) were prepared with the crosslinker genipin. Rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were seeded onto the hybrid hydrogels. Cytoskeleton staining indicated that rat ADSCs thrived on the three hybrid hydrogels. Among the hybrid hydrogels, ADSCs seeded onto DSM/Chitosan-1 exhibited the greatest gene expression levels of cytokeratin-10, cytokeratin-14, and involucrin, and the lowest expression of interleukin-6. Furthermore, according to hematoxylin and eosin staining, DSM/Chitosan-1 exhibited excellent repair ability for full-thickness skin defects in rats. Overall, the DSM/Chitosan-1 hybrid hydrogel exhibits substantial promise as an alternative means for the repair of cutaneous lesions in skin tissue engineering.