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Review
. 2021 Feb 28;13(3):316.
doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13030316.

Current Update of Collagen Nanomaterials-Fabrication, Characterisation and Its Applications: A Review

Samantha Lo  1 , Mh Busra Fauzi  1
Affiliations
Review

Current Update of Collagen Nanomaterials-Fabrication, Characterisation and Its Applications: A Review

Samantha Lo et al. Pharmaceutics. .

Abstract

Tissue engineering technology is a promising alternative approach for improvement in health management. Biomaterials play a major role, acting as a provisional bioscaffold for tissue repair and regeneration. Collagen a widely studied natural component largely present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the human body. It provides mechanical stability with suitable elasticity and strength to various tissues, including skin, bone, tendon, cornea and others. Even though exogenous collagen is commonly used in bioscaffolds, largely in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, nano collagen is a relatively new material involved in nanotechnology with a plethora of unexplored potential. Nano collagen is a form of collagen reduced to a nanoparticulate size, which has its advantages over the common three-dimensional (3D) collagen design, primarily due to its nano-size contributing to a higher surface area-to-volume ratio, aiding in withstanding large loads with minimal tension. It can be produced through different approaches including the electrospinning technique to produce nano collagen fibres resembling natural ECM. Nano collagen can be applied in various medical fields involving bioscaffold insertion or fillers for wound healing improvement; skin, bone, vascular grafting, nerve tissue and articular cartilage regeneration as well as aiding in drug delivery and incorporation for cosmetic purposes.

Keywords: biomaterial; extracellular matrix; nano collagen; three-dimensional; tissue engineering; tissue regeneration.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustrative image of collagen fibre formation. Collagen molecules intertwine with each other, forming collagen fibrils, which are then combined and form collagen fibres. Created with Biorender.com (Accessed date: 10 February 2021).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Image mechanism of electrospinning. Collagen polymer solution is fed through the syringe, forming a Taylor cone due to high voltage and low current. The electrostatic forces together with Columbic forces stretch and dehydrate the polymer ejected, forming dry and thin fibres on the collector. Created with Biorender.com (Accessed date: 10 February 2021).
Figure 3
Figure 3
An illustrative image demonstrating a proposed skin wound-healing process with the application of nano collagen powder. The image demonstrates how the powder is applied and fills in the skin wound, where its nano-sized particles better attach to all the crevices of the wound. The nano collagen powder then absorbs exudate secretion and blood, creating a wet microenvironment which acts as a temporary bio-template in the wound. This allows the damaged cells to absorb and benefit from the collagen applied, enhancing healing by encouraging cell migration and proliferation. Created with Biorender.com (Accessed date: 10 February 2021).
Figure 4
Figure 4
An illustrative flow diagram of cartilage tissue engineering. It begins with taking a biopsy sample of articular cartilage containing articular chondrocytes, which are then cultured, seeded and incorporated into a 3D scaffold, left to mature partially in in vitro conditions and followed by scaffold implantation into chondral lesions [116]. Created with Biorender.com (Accessed date: 10 February 2021).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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