Mycelium-based biomaterials as smart devices for skin wound healing

Marco Ruggeri; Dalila Miele; Marco Contardi; Barbara Vigani; Cinzia Boselli; Antonia Icaro Cornaglia; Silvia Rossi; Giulia Suarato; Athanassia Athanassiou; Giuseppina Sandri

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1225722

Mycelium-based biomaterials as smart devices for skin wound healing

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Aug 15:11:1225722. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1225722. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
² Smart Materials, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
³ Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: Recently, mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus ostreatus, edible fungi, have been characterized in vitro as self-growing biomaterials for tissue engineering since they are constituted of interconnected fibrous networks resembling the dermal collagen structure. Aim: This work aims to investigate the biopharmaceutical properties of G. lucidum and P. ostreatus mycelia to prove their safety and effectiveness in tissue engineering as dermal substitutes. Methods: The mycelial materials were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach, including physicochemical properties (morphology, thermal behavior, surface charge, and isoelectric point). Moreover, preclinical properties such as gene expression and in vitro wound healing assay have been evaluated using fibroblasts. Finally, these naturally-grown substrates were applied in vivo using a murine burn/excisional wound model. Conclusions: Both G. lucidum and P. ostreatus mycelia are biocompatible and able to safely and effectively enhance tissue repair in vivo in our preclinical model.

Keywords: Ganoderma lucidum; Pleurotus ostreatus; biocompatibility; gene expression; murine model; mycelium.

Grants and funding

This project was partially supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3—Call for proposals No. 341 of 15 March 2022 of Italian Ministry of University and Research funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU, Award Number: Project code PE00000003, Concession Decree No. 1550 of 11 October 2022 adopted by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, CUP D93C22000890001, Project title “ON Foods—Research and innovation network on food and nutrition Sustainability, Safety and Security—Working ON Foods”.