Chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol)/bovine bone powder biocomposites: A potential biomaterial for the treatment of atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects a large percent of the worldis population. This long-lasting skin disease has been treated by different approaches according to its causative agent and severity. Nonetheless, the use of advanced biomaterials to treat AD is poorly explored. The present study assessed the protective effectiveness of biocomposites films based on chitosan (Cs), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bovine bone powder (BBP) on AD-like skin lesions. These original biocomposites were fully characterized and in vivo biological assays concerning the AD treatment were performed using a mouse model induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). The dorsal skin and ear of Balb/c female mice were challenging cutaneously with DNCB. Our findings demonstrate BBP-based biocomposite attenuated and treated considerably the DNCB-induced skin lesions in an AD-like model. In this sense, this study suggests that this original biocomposite may be applied as an active biomaterial for AD treatment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.