A physiologically active interpenetrating collagen network that supports growth and migration of epidermal keratinocytes: zinc-polyP nanoparticles integrated into compressed collagen
Wernér E.G. Müller, Hadrian Schepler, Emad Tolba, Shunfeng Wang, Maximilian Ackermann, Rafael Muñoz‐Espí, Shichu Xiao, Rongwei Tan, Zhending She, Meik Neufurth, Heinz C. Schröder, Xiaohong Wang
Abstract
The distinguished property of the physiological polymer, inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), is to act as a bio-intelligent material which releases stimulus-dependent metabolic energy to accelerate wound healing. This characteristic is based on the bio-imitating feature of polyP to be converted, upon exposure to peptide-containing body fluids, from stable amorphous nanoparticles to a physiologically active and energy-delivering coacervate phase. This property of polyP has been utilized to fabricate a wound mat consisting of compressed collagen supplemented with amorphous polyP particles, formed from the inorganic polyanion with an over-stoichiometric ratio of zinc ions. The proliferation and the migration of human skin keratinocytes in those matrices were investigated. If the cells were embedded into the mat they respond with a significantly higher motility when zinc-polyP particles are present. Interestingly, only keratinocytes that were grown in a polyP environment developed well-structured microvilli, reflecting an increased biological activity. The data show that Zn-polyP particles incorporated into wound mats are a potent cell growth and cell migration-stimulating inorganic bio-material.