Preparation of gelatin/genipin nanofibrous membrane for tympanic member repair

The wound healing for tympanic membrane (TM) perforations is one of the most common clinical treatment in otomicrosurgery. Recently, tissue-engineered composites and grafts, also new designs of biomaterials are applied to the management of TM perforation. In this work, a series of gelatin/genipin nanofibrous films were prepared as a patch for repairing TM perforation. Gelatin, a type of biomaterial with excellent electrospinning performance, has been used for preparing the nanofibers. The genipin, as a crosslinking agent, has been blended into the gelatin nanofibers. The reaction between gelatin and genipin engender suitable tensile strength and water-resistance for TM patch. The survival rate of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and fibroblasts demonstrated that the gelatin/genipin nanofiber scaffolds had good biocompatibility, which indicated the genipin was a kind of effective and nontoxic crosslinking agent for improving the mechanical property and water-resistance of gelatin films. In short, our work provides a novel macromolecular material with good mechanical properties, water-tolerance and excellent biocompatibility which could be used as a potential patch for TM repair.