Artificial nerve conduits are used for peripheral nerve damage, but still have some disadvantages compared to autologous cells, such as lack of neurotrophic factors. In the presented study, a nerve conduit made of chitosan, collagen and Schwann cells is used to repair damage to the sciatic nerve of mice, thus providing a simpler alternative to the complex autologous nerve transplantation.

3D bioprinting can improve the treatment of wounds by producing multifunctional, personalized wound dressings. In the study presented here, hydrogel wound dressings based on galantine, sodium alginate, dopamine and quaternized chitosan with effective antioxidant, antibacterial and biocompatible properties will be fabricated via using this technology.

Hydrogels can have versatile applications in biomedicine by forming a 3D network. In the study presented here, an antibacterial, adhesive, self-repairing hydrogel was prepared from carboxymethylchitosan (CMC) and oligomeric polycyanidin (OPC) and the influence of OPC content was investigated.

Deeper skin injuries require appropriate wound dressings to promote healing. In the presented study, CMC-containing hyaluronic acid-dopamine hydrogels were synthesized, characterized and investigated in vivo for their wound healing properties.

A large number of reviews on Chitosan were also published in 2021. According to HMC searches in the PubMed database, a total of 181 new reviews with chitosan in the title appeared in 2021. In this article, we would like to give you an overview of the publications, as well as briefly introduce five reviews on various topics related to chitosan. Have fun reading!

Electrophoretic deposition is getting more attention in recent years. It is cost-effective and can be applied in many ways to produce a variety of composites. In the following, we present an article highlighting the influence of initial concentrations and process parameters on the deposition of chitosan-hydroxyapatite structures. Furthermore, the bonds and interactions in the deposited structures were also investigated.

Chronic, painful diseases such as endometriosis can lead to a severe reduction in the quality of life of those affected. Drug delivery systems, such as chitosan-containing hydrogels, could enable efficient pain management with prolonged and targeted drug release. Therefore, in the study presented here, hydrogels made of chitosan and the vanillin derivative 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde were investigated as a drug delivery system for diclofenac sodium salt.

Chitosan and chitosan derivatives have different properties due to molecular parameters, such as degree of deacetylation and molecular weight. In this article, we present a paper that examined the effect of these parameters on the hemostatic effect of chitosan. Another topic is the long-term stability of chitosan hydrogels according to ICH guidelines.

Functional coatings are applied to improve resistance of implants like artificial heart valves or coronary stents against various impacts in the human body. One problem is the formation of biofilms on the implant surface, which limits communication of the implant with the surrounding area and might induce inflammatory reactions. In addition, nature of the implant material can promote the formation of blood clots, which leads to blocked arteries.

In April 2017, 252 articles about chitosan and chitosan derivatives were published. The International Journal of Biological Macromolecules published the highest number of chitosan-related articles (23), followed by Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces (7) and Carbohydrate Polymers (6). Researchers from China (48 articles) are as usually on the top of the list of leading countries in chitosan research. Germany can also be found among the top 10, with 5 publications in April 2017.

The development of the chitosan research and chitosan application is steadily proceeding. More than 2100 reports about chitosan and chitosan derivatives were published in 2015. The highest number of publications was performed by the leading nations China (589), India (250), the United States (214) and the European area as a whole.