Abstract: Objective To investigate the feasibility of a modified gelatin and polycaprolactone (GT/PCL) electrospun nanofibrous membrane for epidermis engineering. Methods The biocompatibility of the membrane was evaluated by seeding HaCaT cells (human keratinocyte cell line) on the membrane and the mechanical properties of the membrane were determined before and after seeding HaCaT cells. Cell proliferation assay was tested by CCK-8 kit. Then the outcome of GT/PCL membranes repairing skin defects in the nude mouse was investigated. Results The cell proliferation assay showed good attachment and proliferation of HaCaT cells on the membranes and demonstrated good biocompatibility of the membranes. The membranes were strong enough to be transplanted confirming by mechanical test. Further in vivo transplantation studies revealed that engineered epidermis with GT/PCL membranes are able to repair skin defects of the nude mouse. Conclusion The modified GT/PCL electronspun nanofibrous membrane is a kind of suitable scaffold for epidermis engineering.

Key words: Epidermis skin engineering, Electrospun nanofibrous membrane, Gelatin, Polycaprolactone