The unique pool of features found in intracellular and extracellular bacterial biopolymers attracts a lot of research, with bacterial cellulose (BC) being one of the most versatile and common. BC is an exopolysaccharide consisting solely of cellulose, and the variation in the production process can vary its shape or even its composition when compounding is applied in situ. Together with ex situ modification pathways, including specialised polymers, particles or exclusively functional groups, BC provides a robust platform that yields complex multifunctional compounds that go far beyond ultra-high purity, intrinsic hydrophilicity, mechanical strength and biocompatibility to introduce bioactive, (pH, thermal, electro) responsive, conductive and ‘smart’ properties. This review summarises the research outcomes in BC-medical applications, focusing mainly on data from the past decade (i.e., 2010–2020), with special emphasis on BC nanocomposites as materials and devices applicable in medicine. The high purity and unique structural/mechanical features, in addition to its capacity to closely adhere to irregular skin surfaces, skin tolerance, and demonstrated efficacy in wound healing, all stand as valuable attributes advantageous in topical drug delivery. Numerous studies prove BC compatibility with various human cells, with modifications even improving cell affinity and viability. Even BC represents a physical barrier that can reduce the penetration of bacteria into the tissue, but in its native form does not exhibit antimicrobial properties, therefore carious modifications have been made or specific compounds added to confer antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory properties. Progress in the use of BC-compounds as wound dressings, vascular grafts, and scaffolds for the treatment of cartilage, bone and osteochondral defects, the role as a basement membrane in blood-brain barrier models and many more are discussed to particular extent, emphasising the need for BC compounding to meet specific requirements.

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细菌纤维素作为生物医学材料研究和开发的多功能平台

在细胞内和细胞外细菌生物聚合物中发现的独特特征库吸引了许多研究，其中细菌纤维素（BC）是用途最广，最常见的细菌之一。BC是一种仅由纤维素组成的胞外多糖，当原位复合时，生产过程中的变化会改变其形状甚至组成。BC与异位修饰途径（包括特殊的聚合物，颗粒或仅包含官能团）一起，提供了一个强大的平台，可产生复杂的多功能化合物，其远远超出了超高纯度，固有的亲水性，机械强度和生物相容性，可引入生物活性（pH，热，电响应，导电和“智能”特性。这篇综述总结了BC医疗应用的研究成果，主要关注过去十年（即2010–2020年）的数据，特别强调作为医疗适用材料和设备的BC纳米复合材料。高纯度和独特的结构/机械特征，除了可以紧密粘附于不规则皮肤表面的能力，皮肤耐受性以及在伤口愈合中显示出的功效外，所有这些都有利于局部给药。大量研究证明BC与各种人类细胞具有相容性，并且经过修饰甚至可以改善细胞亲和力和生存能力。甚至BC都代表了一种物理屏障，可以减少细菌向组织中的渗透，但是以其天然形式不表现出抗微生物特性，因此已经进行了龋齿修饰或添加了特定化合物以赋予抗微生物或抗炎特性。