Engineering of a Bilayer Artificial E-Skin Biomimicking Epidermal and Dermal Layers with Improved Angiogenesis and Healing Potential

Restoring the endogenous electric field of the skin can be an effective method to accelerate wound healing. In the present study, decellularized amniotic membrane (AM) as a natural scaffold and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as an electroactive synthetic scaffold were used to construct a bilayer electronic-skin (E-skin). AM was decellularized and characterized using H&E, DAPI, and Masson’s trichrome staining. The morphology, crystalline phase, and piezoelectric properties of the electrospun PVDF were assessed using SEM, FTIR, and PiezoTester. The E-skin bilayer scaffold of AM/PVDF was constructed by electrospinning PVDF onto the AM surface, and its biomechanical, morphological, degradation, and biocompatibility properties─as well as angiogenesis-inducing effects─were investigated in vitro. Electro-mechanical stimulation (electrical fields of 50 and 100 mV/mm, frequencies of the 50 and 100 Hz) was applied to detect the piezoelectric effect of the bilayer E-skin on the cells. An in vivo study was also performed to indicate the scaffolds’ effect on the angiogenesis and healing of the full-thickness wound model in rats. E-skin bilayer scaffold of AM/PVDF had favorable biomechanical properties, effective biodegradability, and significant piezoelectric performance. High cell adhesion and viability, along with angiogenesis gene expression, were observed in the presence of the AM/PVDF bilayer. The optimized scaffold significantly accelerated full-thickness wound healing in vivo by promoting re-epithelialization and collagen synthesis stimulation. These findings suggest the bilayer E-skin of AM/PVDF with improved angiogenesis and wound-healing potential as an appropriate wound dressing for full-thickness wound repair.