Applications of bioresorbable polymers in skin and eardrum

Skin and eardrum are body tissues acting as interfaces between the outer environment and the interior body; thus, they have their own intrinsic self-reparatory capacity. Nonetheless, deep, wide, chronic, and acute lesions can challenge their healing, and adjuvant therapies may be needed to restore their functions. In this context, bioresorbable biomaterials offer their most valuable opportunities, not only as dressings enabling in vivo cell migration via growth factor release, but also, and most interestingly, as scaffolds replicating ex vivo spare parts with controlled chemical and physical properties. This chapter reviews the use of natural and synthetic biomaterials for skin and tympanic membrane repair, highlighting their action during healing processes and pathologies. Innovative trends, such as use of oceanic origin biomaterials and polymers combined with stem cells or biofabrication techniques are mentioned that could represent next-generation skin and eardrum therapies.