Chitosan-Based Heparan Sulfate Mimetics Promote Epidermal Formation in a Human Organotypic Skin Model

Abstract

Biomimetic materials that replicate biological functions have great promise for use as therapeutics in regenerative medicine applications. Heparan sulfate (HS) is the natural binding partner for growth factors enabling longer half-lives and potentiation of their signaling. In this study a water soluble chitosan-arginine is modified with sulfate moieties in order to mimic the structure of HS. Sulfated chitosan-arginine with a degree of sulfation of 58% binds fibroblast growth factor 2 with higher affinity than HS. The sulfated chitosan-arginine also promotes epithelial cell migration and supports the formation of an expanded epidermis in an organotypic skin model. Furthermore, sulfated chitos..