Construction andin vitrotesting of a cellulose dura mater graft

Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are a common complication after cranial and spinal surgery and are associated with increased morbidity. Despite continuous research in this field, this problem is far from solved. In this paper, we describe the construction and testing of a bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane as a new dural patch. Materials and Methods: The synthesis of BC was performed using Gluconacetobacter hansenii (ATCC 23769) and films were sterilized by autoclaving. The membranes were seeded with human dural fibroblasts. Growth, shape, and cell viability were assessed after 4 weeks. Results: Normally shaped fibroblasts were seen on the BC grafts; confocal microscopy showed cells inside the structure of the mesh. Both viable and nonviable cells were present. Cellular attachment and viability were confirmed by replating of the membranes. Discussion: BC membranes are used in clinical practice to improve skin healing. In the presence of water, they form an elastic, nontoxic, and resistant biogel that can accommodate collagen and growth factors within their structure, thus BC is a good candidate for dural graft construction. Fil: Goldschmidt, Ezequiel Darío. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos. Hospital Italiano. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Cacicedo, Maximiliano Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentina Fil: Kornfeld, Sebastián. Hospital Italiano. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Valinoti, Marina. Hospital Italiano. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Ielpi, Marcelo. Hospital Italiano. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Ajler, Pablo. Hospital Italiano; Argentina Fil: Yampolsky, Claudio. Hospital Italiano; Argentina Fil: Rasmussen, Jorge. Hospital Italiano; Argentina Fil: Castro, Guillermo Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales; Argentina Fil: Argibay, Pablo. Hospital Italiano. Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Medicina Experimental; Argentina