Translational Extracellular Matrix Spray-Coating Approach for Large-Scale Bioactive Surface Functionalization and Tissue Repair

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

While various extracellular matrix (ECM)-based delivery platforms such as cell sheets, nanoparticles, and dressings have demonstrated potential for tissue repair, their clinical translation remains limited by poor scalability, structural fragility, and substrate-specific constraints. This study introduces a translational spray-coating strategy capable of conformationally activating ECM proteins, specifically fibronectin (FN) and collagen (COL), via mechanical unfolding during deposition. Using a commercially available airbrush, micrometer-scale droplets are uniformly deposited onto diverse biomedical substrates, including polydioxanone sutures and oxidized regenerated cellulose/collagen dressings, without structural damage. Notably, FN undergoes conformational changes that enhance cell adhesion, while multi-ECM sprays promote fibrillogenesis, directional matrix organization, and increase fibroblast migration and proliferation. In a full-thickness murine wound model, sequential ECM spraying results in a 88.2% wound closure rate and 66.6% COL density, outperforming both drop-treated and commercial control groups. These findings position ECM spray-coating as a scalable, bioactive platform for advanced wound therapy and surface functionalization in regenerative medicine.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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