Multilayered nanofibrous scaffold of Polyvinyl alcohol/gelatin/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) enriched with hemostatic/antibacterial agents for rapid acute hemostatic wound healing

Endogenous/exogenous stimuli‐responsive smart hydrogels for diabetic wound healing

Diabetes significantly impairs the body's wound‐healing capabilities, leading to chronic, infection‐prone wounds. These wounds are characterized by hyperglycemia, inflammation, hypoxia, variable pH levels, increased matrix metalloproteinase activity, oxidative stress, and bacterial colonization. These complex conditions complicate effective wound management, prompting the development of advanced diabetic wound care strategies that exploit specific wound characteristics such as acidic pH, high glucose levels, and oxidative stress to trigger controlled drug release, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effects of the dressings. Among the solutions, hydrogels emerge as promising due to their stimuli‐responsive nature, making them highly effective for managing these wounds. The latest advancements in mono/multi‐stimuli‐responsive smart hydrogels showcase their superiority and potential as healthcare materials, as highlighted by relevant case studies. However, traditional wound dressings fall short of meeting the nuanced needs of these wounds, such as adjustable adhesion, easy removal, real‐time wound status monitoring, and dynamic drug release adjustment according to the wound's specific conditions. Responsive hydrogels represent a significant leap forward as advanced dressings proficient in sensing and responding to the wound environment, offering a more targeted approach to diabetic wound treatment. This review highlights recent advancements in smart hydrogels for wound dressing, monitoring, and drug delivery, emphasizing their role in improving diabetic wound healing. It addresses ongoing challenges and future directions, aiming to guide their clinical adoption.

Three-dimensional printed polyelectrolyte construct containing mupirocin-loaded quaternized chitosan nanoparticles for skin repair

Despite substantial advancements in wound dressing development, effective skin repair remains a significant challenge, largely due to the persistent issue of recurrent infections. Three-dimensional printed constructs that integrate bioactive and antibacterial agents hold significant potential to address this challenge. In this study, a 3D-printed hydrogel scaffold composed of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and pectin (Pc), incorporated with mupirocin (Mp)-loaded quaternized chitosan nanoparticles (QC NPs) was fabricated. The primary objective of this study was to facilitate a controlled and sustained release of Mp via the QC NPs. The average size of QC-Mp nanoparticles was measured to be 66.05 nm and the average strand diameter and pore size of the 3D-printed construct were measured as 147.22 ± 5.83 and 388.44 ± 14.50 μm, respectively. The hemolysis rate of all scaffolds was below 2 %, indicating that they can be classified as non-hemolytic materials with sufficient blood compatibility. The PAH-Pc/QC-Mp scaffold exhibited significant antibacterial activity, enhanced cell viability in HaCat cells, sustained Mp release until day 7 (⁓60 %), and in-vivo wound healing promotion by stimulation of human keratinocytes. In conclusion, the proposed biocompatible construct demonstrates significant potential for the treatment of chronic and infected wounds by preventing infection and promoting accelerated wound healing.

Advancements in wound management: integrating nanotechnology and smart materials for enhanced therapeutic interventions

Wound management spans various techniques and materials tailored to address acute and chronic non-healing wounds, with the primary objective of achieving successful wound closure. Chronic wounds pose additional challenges, often necessitating dressings to prepare the wound bed for subsequent surgical procedures like skin grafting. Ideal dressing materials should not only expedite wound healing but also mitigate protein, electrolyte, and fluid loss while minimizing pain and infection risk. Nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative tool in wound care, revolutionizing the landscape of biomedical dressings. Its application offers remarkable efficacy in accelerating wound healing and combating bacterial infections, representing a significant advancement in wound care practices. Integration of nanotechnology into dressings has resulted in enhanced properties, including improved mechanical strength and controlled drug release, facilitating tailored therapeutic interventions. This review article comprehensively explores recent breakthroughs in wound healing therapies, with a focus on innovative medical dressings such as nano-enzymes. Additionally, the utilization of smart materials, like hydrogels and electroactive polymers, in wound dressings offers dynamic functionalities to promote tissue regeneration. Emerging concepts such as bio-fabrication, microfluidic systems, bio-responsive scaffolds, and personalized therapeutics show promise in expediting wound healing and minimizing scarring. Through an in-depth exploration of these advancements, this review aims to catalyze a paradigm shift in wound care strategies, promoting a patient-centric approach to therapeutic interventions.

Research Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes for Non-Invasive Medical Applications

Non-invasive medical nanofiber technology, characterized by its high specific surface area, biocompatibility, and porosity, holds significant potential in various medical domains, including tissue repair and biosensing. It is increasingly becoming central to healthcare by offering safer and more efficient treatment options for contemporary medicine. Numerous studies have explored non-invasive medical nanofibers in recent years, yet a comprehensive overview of the field remains lacking. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive summary of the applications of electrospun nanofibers in non-invasive medical fields, considering multiple aspects and perspectives. Initially, we introduce electrospinning nanofibers. Subsequently, we detail their applications in non-invasive health, including health monitoring, personal protection, thermal regulation, and wound care, highlighting their critical role in improving human health. Lastly, this paper discusses the current challenges associated with electrospun nanofibers and offers insights into potential future development trajectories.

Silver nanoparticles loaded triple-layered cellulose-acetate based multifunctional dressing for wound healing

Chronic wounds present considerable challenges which delay their effective healing. Currently, there are several biomaterial-based wound dressings available for healing diverse wound types. However, most of commercial wound dressings are too expensive to be affordable to the patients belonging to the middle and lower socioeconomic strata of the society. Thus, in this investigation affordable triple layered nanofibrous bandages were fabricated using the layer-by-layer approach. Here, the topmost layer comprised of a hydrophilic poly vinyl alcohol layer, cross-linked with citric acid. The middle layer comprising of cellulose acetate was loaded with silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent, while the lowermost layer was fabricated using hydrophobic polycaprolactone. The triple-layered nanofibrous bandages having a nano-topography, exhibited a smooth, uniform and bead-free morphology, with the nanofiber diameter ranging between 200 and 300 nm. The nanofibers demonstrated excellent wettability, slow in vitro degradation, controlled release of nano‑silver and potent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative (E.coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria. The fabricated bandages had excellent mechanical strength upto 12.72 ± 0.790 M. Pa, which was suitable for biomedical and tissue engineering applications. The bandage demonstrated excellent in vitro hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. In vivo excisional wound contraction, along with H and E and Masson's Trichrome staining further confirmed the potential of the nanofibrous bandage for full-thickness wound healing. Pre-clinical investigations thus indicated the possibility of further evaluating the triple-layered nanofibrous dressing in clinical settings.

Layer-by-Layer Construction of Antibacterial and Anticoagulant Blood Contacting Materials

Vascular transplantation is a common treatment for Cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the mismatch of mechanical, structural, or microenvironmental properties of materials limits the clinical application. Therefore, the functional construction of artificial vessels or other blood contact materials remains an urgent challenge. In this paper, the composite nanofibers of polycaprolactone (PCL) with dopamine and polyethylenimine (PEI) coating are first prepared, which are further self-assembled by anticoagulant hirudin (rH) and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) of HHC36 through layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The results of FTIR and XPS analysis show that hirudin and AMP are successfully loaded on PEI-PDA/PCL nanofibers and the hydrophilicity is improved. They also show good mechanical properties that the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break are better than natural blood vessels. The antibacterial results show that the antibacterial effect is still 93% against E. coli on the fifth day because of the stable and continuous release of HHC36 and rH. The performance of anticoagulant activity also exhibited the same results, which APTT is even 9.7s longer in the experimental group than the control group on the fifth day. The novel materials would be effectively solve the formation of thrombosis around artificial blood vessel grafts and the treatment of inflammation.

Resveratrol-Ampicillin Dual-Drug Loaded Polyvinylpyrrolidone/Polyvinyl Alcohol Biomimic Electrospun Nanofiber Enriched with Collagen for Efficient Burn Wound Repair

Background

The healing of burn wounds is a complicated physiological process that involves several stages, including haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling to rebuild the skin and subcutaneous tissue integrity. Recent advancements in nanomaterials, especially nanofibers, have opened a new way for efficient healing of wounds due to burning or other injuries.

Methods

This study aims to develop and characterize collagen-decorated, bilayered electrospun nanofibrous mats composed of PVP and PVA loaded with Resveratrol (RSV) and Ampicillin (AMP) to accelerate burn wound healing and tissue repair.

Results

Nanofibers with smooth surfaces and web-like structures with diameters ranging from 200 to 400 nm were successfully produced by electrospinning. These fibres exhibited excellent in vitro properties, including the ability to absorb wound exudates and undergo biodegradation over a two-week period. Additionally, these nanofibers demonstrated sustained and controlled release of encapsulated Resveratrol (RSV) and Ampicillin (AMP) through in vitro release studies. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) of PVP-PVA-RSV-AMP nanofibers against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) was found 31±0.09 mm and 12±0.03, respectively, which was significantly higher as compared to positive control. Similarly, the biofilm study confirmed the significant reduction in the formation of biofilms in nanofiber-treated group against both S. aureus and E. coli. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis proved the encapsulation of RSV and AMP successfully into nanofibers and their compatibility. Haemolysis assay (%) showed no significant haemolysis (less than 5%) in nanofiber-treated groups, confirmed their cytocompatibility with red blood cells (RBCs). Cell viability assay and cell adhesion on HaCaT cells showed increased cell proliferation, indicating its biocompatibility as well as non-toxic properties. Results of the in-vivo experiments on a burn wound model demonstrated potential burn wound healing in rats confirmed by H&E-stained images and also improved the collagen synthesis in nanofibers-treated groups evidenced by Masson-trichrome staining. The ELISA assay clearly indicated the efficient downregulation of TNF-alpha and IL-6 inflammatory biomarkers after treatment with nanofibers on day 10.

Conclusion

The RSV and AMP-loaded nanofiber mats, developed in this study, expedite burn wound healing through their multifaceted approach.

Advances of biological macromolecules hemostatic materials: A review

Achieving hemostasis is a necessary intervention to rapidly and effectively control bleeding. Conventional hemostatic materials currently used in clinical practice may aggravate the damage at the bleeding site due to factors such as poor adhesion and poor adaptation. Compared to most traditional hemostatic materials, polymer-based hemostatic materials have better biocompatibility and offer several advantages. They provide a more effective method of stopping bleeding and avoiding additional damage to the body in case of excessive blood loss. Various hemostatic materials with greater functionality have been developed in recent years for different organs using diverse design strategies. This article reviews the latest advances in the development of polymeric hemostatic materials. We introduce the coagulation cascade reaction after bleeding and then discuss the hemostatic mechanisms and advantages and disadvantages of various polymer materials, including natural, synthetic, and composite polymer hemostatic materials. We further focus on the design strategies, properties, and characterization of hemostatic materials, along with their applications in different organs. Finally, challenges and prospects for the application of hemostatic polymeric materials are summarized and discussed. We believe that this review can provide a reference for related research on hemostatic materials, contributing to the further development of polymer hemostatic materials.

Intelligent electrospinning nanofibrous membranes for monitoring and promotion of the wound healing

The incidence of chronic wound healing is promoted by the growing trend of elderly population, obesity, and type II diabetes. Although numerous wound dressings have been studied over the years, it is still challenging for many wound dressings to perfectly adapt to the healing process due to the dynamic and complicated wound microenvironment. Aiming at an optimal reproduction of the physiological environment, multifunctional electrospinning nanofibrous membranes (ENMs) have emerged as a promising platform for the wound treatment owing to their resemblance to extracellular matrix (ECM), adjustable preparation processes, porousness, and good conformability to the wound site. Moreover, profiting from the booming development of human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence, a next generation of intelligent electrospinning nanofibrous membranes (iENMs) based wound dressing substrates that could realize the real-time monitoring of wound proceeding and individual-based wound therapy has evoked a surge of interest. In this regard, general wound-related biomarkers and process are overviewed firstly and representative iENMs stimuli-responsive materials are briefly summarized. Subsequently, the emergent applications of iENMs for the wound healing are highlighted. Finally, the opportunities and challenges for the development of next-generation iENMs as well as translating iENMs into clinical practice are evaluated.

Surface entrenched β-sitosterol niosomes for enhanced cardioprotective activity against isoproterenol induced cardiotoxicity in rats

Cardiotoxicity (CT) is a severe condition that negatively impacts heart function. β-sitosterol (BS) is a group of phytosterols and known for various pharmacological benefits, such as managing diabetes, cardiac protection, and neuroprotection. This study aims to develop niosomes (NS) containing BS, utilizing cholesterol as the lipid and Tween 80 as the stabilizer. The research focuses on designing and evaluating both conventional BS-NS and hyaluronic acid (HA) modified NS (BS-HA-NS) to enhance the specificity and efficacy of BS within cardiac tissue. The resulting niosomal formulation was spherical, with a size of about 158.51 ± 0.57 nm, an entrapment efficiency of 93.56 ± 1.48 %, and a drug loading of 8.07 ± 1.62 %. To evaluate cytotoxicity on H9c2 heart cells, the MTT assay was used. The cellular uptake of BS-NS and BS-HA-NS was confirmed by confocal microscopy on H9c2 cardiac cells. Administering BS-NS and BS-HA-NS intravenously at a dose of 10 mg/kg showed the ability to significantly decrease the levels of cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lipid peroxidation (MDA). Tissue histopathology indicated a substantial potential for repairing cardiac tissue after treatment with BS-NS and BS-HA-NS and strong cardioprotection against ISO induced myocardial tissue damages. Thus, enhancing BS's therapeutic effectiveness through niosome surface modification holds promise for mitigating cardiac damage resulting from CT.

Revolutionizing Wound Healing: Exploring Scarless Solutions through Drug Delivery Innovations

Human skin is the largest organ and outermost surface of the human body, and due to the continuous exposure to various challenges, it is prone to develop injuries, customarily known as wounds. Although various tissue engineering strategies and bioactive wound matrices have been employed to speed up wound healing, scarring remains a significant challenge. The wound environment is harsh due to the presence of degradative enzymes and elevated pH levels, and the physiological processes involved in tissue regeneration operate on distinct time scales. Therefore, there is a need for effective drug delivery systems (DDSs) to address these issues. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive exposition of the mechanisms underlying the skin healing process, the factors and materials used in engineering DDSs, and the different DDSs used in wound care. Furthermore, this investigation will delve into the examination of emergent technologies and potential avenues for enhancing the efficacy of wound care devices.

Revolution of nanotechnology in food packaging: Harnessing electrospun zein nanofibers for improved preservation - A review

Zein, a protein-based biopolymer derived from corn, has garnered attention as a promising and eco-friendly choice for packaging food due to its favorable physical attributes. The introduction of electrospinning technology has significantly advanced the production of zein-based nanomaterials. This cutting-edge technique enables the creation of nanofibers with customizable structures, offering high surface area and adjustable mechanical and thermal attributes. Moreover, the electrospinning process allows for integrating various additives, such as antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, and flavoring compounds, into the zein nanofibers, enhancing their functionalities for food preservation. In this comprehensive review, the various electrospinning techniques employed for crafting zein-based nanofibers, and we delve into their enhanced properties. Furthermore, the review illuminates the potential applications of zein nanofibers in active and intelligent packaging materials by incorporating diverse constituents. Altogether, this review highlights the considerable prospects of zein-based nanocomposites in the realm of food packaging, offering sustainable and innovative solutions for food industry.

Cold atmospheric plasma modified polycaprolactone solution prior to electrospinning: A novel approach for improving quercetin-loaded nanofiber drug delivery systems

In this study, we present a novel approach for enhancing the performance of Quercetin-loaded nanofiber drug delivery systems through the modification of Polycaprolactone (PCL) solution using Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) prior to electrospinning. CAP treatment was applied to PCL solutions for varying durations, namely, 0.5, 1, and 3 min. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) collectively demonstrate that CAP application and QU loading induce morphological changes in nanofibers, facilitating the creation of drug delivery systems with modified fiber diameters, devoid of bead formation. CAP treatment duration correlates with varying fiber diameters, with the longest treatment (3 min) producing the largest fibers (1324 ± 387 nm). Concurrently, the incorporation of quercetin (QU) into the PCL nanofibers resulted in reduced fiber diameter. These observations emphasize the pivotal role of CAP modification in tailoring nanofiber size and morphology. Notably, minimal peak shifts indicate no significant molecular structure changes in PCL nanofibers compared to PCL solutions, assuring the absence of unwanted chemical modifications or degradation during electrospinning. Furthermore, specific QU peaks are undetectable in Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, suggesting dispersed or amorphous QU molecules within the nanofibers. Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD) results demonstrate that CAP treatment does not alter the crystalline structure of the PCL nanofiber drug delivery system. Crystalline planes of PCL remain unchanged, affirming stability under CAP treatment conditions. Water contact angles indicate that CAP treatment affects nanofiber hydrophobicity, with shorter CAP treatment times rendering more hydrophilic surfaces. Cumulative QU release percentages vary, with PCL/CAP-0.5-QU exhibiting the highest release at 56 ± 2.2 %, surpassing unmodified PCL/QU. Moreover, cell viability remains comparable or slightly increased when QU is incorporated into CAP-treated PCL nanofibers, suggesting potential mitigation of cytotoxic effects induced by CAP treatment. The combination of QU and CAP treatment enhances cancer cell viability reduction, QU release from nanofibers, and drug loading efficiency in a synergistic manner.

Formulation and characterization of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan composite nanofiber co-loaded with silver nanoparticle & luliconazole encapsulated poly lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticle for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer

Chronic wounds are prone to fungal infections, possess a significant challenge, and result in substantial mortality. Diabetic wounds infected with Candida strains are extremely common. It can create biofilm at the wound site, which can lead to antibiotic resistance. As a result, developing innovative dressing materials that combat fungal infections while also providing wound healing is a viable strategy to treat infected wounds and address the issue of antibiotic resistance. Present work proposed anti-infective dressing material for the treatment of fungal strains Candida-infected diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). The nanofiber was fabricated using polyvinyl Alcohol/chitosan as hydrogel base and co-loaded with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) and luliconazole-nanoparticles (LZNP) nanoparticles, prepared using PLGA. Fabricated nanofibers had pH close to target area and exhibited hydrophilic surface suitable for adhesion to wound area. The nanofibers showed strong antifungal and antibiofilm properties against different strains of Candida; mainly C. albicans, C. auris, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. Nanofibers exhibited excellent water retention potential and water vapour transmission rate. The nanofibers had sufficient payload capacity towards AgNP and LZNP, and provided controlled release of payload, which was also confirmed by in-vivo imaging. In-vitro studies confirmed the biocompatibility and enhanced proliferation of Human keratinocytes cells (HaCaT). In-vivo studies showed accelerated wound closure by providing ant-infective action, supporting cellular proliferation and improving blood flow, all collectively contributing in expedited wound healing.

Stimuli-responsive polysaccharide-based smart hydrogels for diabetic wound healing: Design aspects, preparation methods and regulatory perspectives

Diabetes adversely affects wound-healing responses, leading to the development of chronic infected wounds. Such wound microenvironment is characterized by hyperglycaemia, hyperinflammation, hypoxia, variable pH, upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases, oxidative stress, and bacterial colonization. These pathological conditions pose challenges for the effective wound healing. Therefore, there is a paradigm shift in diabetic wound care management wherein abnormal pathological conditions of the wound microenvironment is used as a trigger for controlling the drug release or to improve properties of wound dressings. Hydrogels composed of natural polysaccharides showed tremendous potential as wound dressings as well as stimuli-responsive materials due to their unique properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, porosity, stimuli-responsiveness etc. Hence, polysaccharide-based hydrogels have emerged as advanced healthcare materials for diabetic wounds. In this review, we presented important aspects for the design of hydrogel-based wound dressings with an emphasis on biocompatibility, biodegradability, entrapment of therapeutic agents, moisturizing ability, swelling, and mechanical properties. Further, various crosslinking methods that enable desirable properties and stimuli responsiveness to the hydrogels have been mentioned. Subsequently, state-of-the-art developments in mono- and multi- stimuli-responsive hydrogels have been presented along with the case studies. Finally regulatory perspectives, challenges for the clinical translation and future prospects have been discussed.

State-of-the-Art Review of Advanced Electrospun Nanofiber Composites for Enhanced Wound Healing

Wound healing is a complex biological process with four main phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Current treatments such as cotton and gauze may delay the wound healing process which gives a demand for more innovative treatments. Nanofibers are nanoparticles that resemble the extracellular matrix of the skin and have a large specific surface area, high porosity, good mechanical properties, controllable morphology, and size. Nanofibers are generated by electrospinning method that utilizes high electric force. Electrospinning device composed of high voltage power source, syringe that contains polymer solution, needle, and collector to collect nanofibers. Many polymers can be used in nanofiber that can be from natural or from synthetic origin. As such, electrospun nanofibers are potential scaffolds for wound healing applications. This review discusses the advanced electrospun nanofiber morphologies used in wound healing that is prepared by modified electrospinning techniques.

Multifunctional electrospun nanofibrous scaffold enriched with alendronate and hydroxyapatite for balancing osteogenic and osteoclast activity to promote bone regeneration

Electrospun composite nanofiber scaffolds are well known for their bone and tissue regeneration applications. This research is focused on the development of PVP and PVA nanofiber composite scaffolds enriched with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and alendronate (ALN) using the electrospinning technique. The developed nanofiber scaffolds were investigated for their physicochemical as well as bone regeneration potential. The results obtained from particle size, zeta potential, SEM and EDX analysis of HA nanoparticles confirmed their successful fabrication. Further, SEM analysis verified nanofiber's diameters within 200-250 nm, while EDX analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of HA and ALN into the scaffolds. XRD and TGA analysis revealed the amorphous and thermally stable nature of the nanofiber composite scaffolds. Contact angle, FTIR analysis, Swelling and biodegradability studies revealed the hydrophilicity, chemical compatibility, suitable water uptake capacity and increased in-vitro degradation making it appropriate for tissue regeneration. The addition of HA into nanofiber scaffolds enhanced the physiochemical properties. Additionally, hemolysis cell viability, cell adhesion and proliferation by SEM as well as confocal microscopy and live/dead assay results demonstrated the non-toxic and biocompatibility behavior of nanofiber scaffolds. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) assays demonstrated osteoblast promotion and osteoclast inhibition, respectively. These findings suggest that developed HA and ALN-loaded PVP/PVA-ALN-HA nanofiber composite scaffolds hold significant promise for bone regeneration applications.

Biomimetic electrospun nanofibrous scaffold for tissue engineering: preparation, optimization by design of experiments (DOE), in-vitro and in-vivo characterization

Electrospinning is a versatile method for fabrication of précised nanofibrous materials for various biomedical application including tissue engineering and drug delivery. This research is aimed to fabricate the PVP/PVA nanofiber scaffold by novel electrospinning technique and to investigate the impact of process parameters (flow rate, voltage and distance) and polymer concentration/solvent combinations influence on properties of electrospun nanofibers. The in-vitro and in-vivo degradation studies were performed to evaluate the potential of electrospun PVP/PVA as a tissue engineering scaffold. The solvents used for electrospinning of PVP/PVA nanofibers were ethanol and 90% acetic acid, optimized with central composite design via Design Expert software. NF-2 and NF-35 were selected as optimised nanofiber formulation in acetic acid and ethanol, and their characterization showed diameter of 150-400 nm, tensile strength of 18.3 and 13.1 MPa, respectively. XRD data revealed the amorphous nature, and exhibited hydrophilicity (contact angles: 67.89° and 58.31° for NF-2 and NF-35). Swelling and in-vitro degradability studies displayed extended water retention as well as delayed degradation. FTIR analysis confirmed solvent-independent interactions. Additionally, hemolysis and in-vitro cytotoxicity studies revealed the non-toxic nature of fabricated scaffolds on RBCs and L929 fibroblast cells. Subcutaneous rat implantation assessed tissue response, month-long biodegradation, and biocompatibility through histological analysis of surrounding tissue. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, this porous PVP/PVA nanofiber has great potential for biomedical applications.

Nanofiber Scaffolds as Drug Delivery Systems Promoting Wound Healing

Nanofiber scaffolds have emerged as a revolutionary drug delivery platform for promoting wound healing, due to their unique properties, including high surface area, interconnected porosity, excellent breathability, and moisture absorption, as well as their spatial structure which mimics the extracellular matrix. However, the use of nanofibers to achieve controlled drug loading and release still presents many challenges, with ongoing research still exploring how to load drugs onto nanofiber scaffolds without loss of activity and how to control their release in a specific spatiotemporal manner. This comprehensive study systematically reviews the applications and recent advances related to drug-laden nanofiber scaffolds for skin-wound management. First, we introduce commonly used methods for nanofiber preparation, including electrostatic spinning, sol-gel, molecular self-assembly, thermally induced phase separation, and 3D-printing techniques. Next, we summarize the polymers used in the preparation of nanofibers and drug delivery methods utilizing nanofiber scaffolds. We then review the application of drug-loaded nanofiber scaffolds for wound healing, considering the different stages of wound healing in which the drug acts. Finally, we briefly describe stimulus-responsive drug delivery schemes for nanofiber scaffolds, as well as other exciting drug delivery systems.