Natural origin bilayer pullulan-PHBV scaffold for wound healing applications

Insect chitosan/pullulan/gallium photo-crosslinking hydrogels with multiple bioactivities promote MRSA-infected wound healing

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacteria have become more common in recent years, which has made it extremely difficult to treat and heal many different kinds of wounds and caused enormous financial losses. Because of its unique "Trojan horse" function, Ga3+ has been recognized as a new possible candidate for inhibiting and eradicating drug-resistant bacteria. Furthermore, natural polysaccharide materials with outstanding biological characteristics, such as insect chitosan (CS) and pullulan (PUL), have attracted significant interest. In this study, we used quaternized-catechol chitosan (QDCS-PA), methacrylate-dialdehyde pullulan (DPUL-GMA), and gallium ion (Ga) to create a multi-crosslinked photo-enhanced hydrogel (Q-D/Ga/UV) with antimicrobial, hemostatic, self-healing, and injectable properties for promoting MRSA-infected wound healing. In vitro, the Q-D/Ga/UV hydrogels demonstrated good mechanical properties, antioxidant capabilities, biocompatibility, hemostatic properties, and antibacterial activity. The addition of gallium ions enhanced the hydrogels' mechanical properties, hemostatic capabilities, antibacterial activity, and ability to induce wound healing. Q-D/Ga/UV hydrogel significantly promoted wound contraction, collagen deposition, and angiogenesis while also suppressing inflammation in a whole-skin wound model of MRSA-infected rats. In conclusion, Q-D/Ga/UV hydrogels demonstrate significant promise for healing wounds infected with drug-resistant bacteria.

Recent advancements in natural polymers-based self-healing nano-materials for wound dressing

The field of wound healing has witnessed remarkable progress in recent years, driven by the pursuit of advanced wound dressings. Traditional dressing materials have limitations like poor biocompatibility, nonbiodegradability, inadequate moisture management, poor breathability, lack of inherent therapeutic properties, and environmental impacts. There is a compelling demand for innovative solutions to transcend the constraints of conventional dressing materials for optimal wound care. In this extensive review, the therapeutic potential of natural polymers as the foundation for the development of self-healing nano-materials, specifically for wound dressing applications, has been elucidated. Natural polymers offer a multitude of advantages, possessing exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. The intricate engineering strategies employed to fabricate these polymers into nanostructures, thereby imparting enhanced mechanical robustness, flexibility, critical for efficacious wound management has been expounded. By harnessing the inherent properties of natural polymers, including chitosan, alginate, collagen, hyaluronic acid, and so on, and integrating the concept of self-healing materials, a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge research in this emerging field is presented in the review. Furthermore, the inherent self-healing attributes of these materials, wherein they exhibit innate capabilities to autonomously rectify any damage or disruption upon exposure to moisture or body fluids, reducing frequent dressing replacements have also been explored. This review consolidates the existing knowledge landscape, accentuating the benefits and challenges associated with these pioneering materials while concurrently paving the way for future investigations and translational applications in the realm of wound healing.

Additive Manufacturing of Wet-Spun Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-Based Scaffolds Loaded with Hydroxyapatite

Tissue engineering represents an advanced therapeutic approach for the treatment of bone tissue defects. Polyhydroxyalkanoates are a promising class of natural polymers in this context thanks to their biocompatibility, processing versatility, and mechanical properties. The aim of this study is the development by computer-aided wet-spinning of novel poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)-based composite scaffolds for bone engineering. In particular, PHBV scaffolds are loaded with hydroxyapatite (HA), an osteoinductive ceramic, in order to tailor their biological activity and mechanical properties. PHBV blending with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) is also explored to increase the processing properties of the polymeric mixture used for composite scaffold fabrication. Different HA percentages, up to 15% wt., can be loaded into the PHBV or PHBV/PLGA scaffolds without compromising their interconnected porous architecture, as well as the polymer morphological and thermal properties, as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, HA loading results in increased scaffold compressive stiffness to levels comparable to those of trabecular bone tissue, as well as in higher in vitro MC3T3-E1 cell viability and production of mineralized extracellular matrix, in comparison to what observed for unloaded scaffolds. The observed mechanical and biological properties suggest the suitability of the developed scaffolds for bone engineering.

Functional electrospun nanofibers: fabrication, properties, and applications in wound-healing process

Electrostatic spinning as a technique for producing nanoscale fibers has recently attracted increasing attention due to its simplicity, versatility, and loadability. Nanofibers prepared by electrostatic spinning have been widely studied, especially in biomedical applications, because of their high specific surface area, high porosity, easy size control, and easy surface functionalization. Wound healing is a highly complex and dynamic process that is a crucial step in the body's healing process to recover from tissue injury or other forms of damage. Single-component nanofibers are more or less limited in terms of structural properties and do not fully satisfy various needs of the materials. This review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the literature on the use of electrostatically spun nanofibers to promote wound healing, to overview the infinite possibilities for researchers to tap into their biomedical applications through functional composite modification of nanofibers for advanced and multifunctional materials, and to propose directions and perspectives for future research.

Dual-crosslinked methacrylamide chitosan/poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers sequential releasing of tannic acid and curcumin drugs for accelerating wound healing

The objective of this research study is to develop novel composite nanofibers based on methacrylamide chitosan (ChMA)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) materials by the dual crosslinking and coaxial-electrospinning strategies. The prepared ChMA/PCL composite nanofibers can sequentially deliver tannic acid and curcumin drugs to synergistically inhibit bacterial reproduction and accelerate wound healing. The rapid delivery of tannic acid is expected to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms and accelerate epithelialization in the early stage, while the slow and sustained release of curcumin is with the aim of relieving chronic inflammatory response and inducing dermal tissue maturation in the late stage. Meanwhile, dual-drugs sequentially released from the membrane exhibited a DPPH free radical scavenging rate of ca. 95 % and an antibacterial rate of above 85 %. Moreover, the membrane possessed great biocompatibility in vitro and significantly inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β and TNF-α) in vivo. Animal experiments showed that the composite membrane by means of the synergistic effect of polyphenol drugs and ChMA nanofibers, could significantly alleviate macrophage infiltration and accelerate the healing process of wounds. From the above, the as-prepared ChMA-based membrane with a stage-wise release pattern of drugs could be a promising bioengineered construct for wound healing application.

Biomedical Applications of the Biopolymer Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV): Drug Encapsulation and Scaffold Fabrication

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is a biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymer that has gained popularity in the field of biomedicine. This review provides an overview of recent advances and potential applications of PHBV, with special emphasis on drug encapsulation and scaffold construction. PHBV has shown to be a versatile platform for drug delivery, offering controlled release, enhanced therapeutic efficacy, and reduced side effects. The encapsulation of various drugs, such as anticancer agents, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs, in PHBV nanoparticles or microspheres has been extensively investigated, demonstrating enhanced drug stability, prolonged release kinetics, and increased bioavailability. Additionally, PHBV has been used as a scaffold material for tissue engineering applications, such as bone, cartilage, and skin regeneration. The incorporation of PHBV into scaffolds has been shown to improve mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and cellular interactions, making them suitable for tissue engineering constructs. This review highlights the potential of PHBV in drug encapsulation and scaffold fabrication, showing its promising role in advancing biomedical applications.

Overview of Antimicrobial Biodegradable Polyester-Based Formulations

As the clinical complications induced by microbial infections are known to have life-threatening side effects, conventional anti-infective therapy is necessary, but not sufficient to overcome these issues. Some of their limitations are connected to drug-related inefficiency or resistance and pathogen-related adaptive modifications. Therefore, there is an urgent need for advanced antimicrobials and antimicrobial devices. A challenging, yet successful route has been the development of new biostatic or biocide agents and biomaterials by considering the indisputable advantages of biopolymers. Polymers are attractive materials due to their physical and chemical properties, such as compositional and structural versatility, tunable reactivity, solubility and degradability, and mechanical and chemical tunability, together with their intrinsic biocompatibility and bioactivity, thus enabling the fabrication of effective pharmacologically active antimicrobial formulations. Besides representing protective or potentiating carriers for conventional drugs, biopolymers possess an impressive ability for conjugation or functionalization. These aspects are key for avoiding malicious side effects or providing targeted and triggered drug delivery (specific and selective cellular targeting), and generally to define their pharmacological efficacy. Moreover, biopolymers can be processed in different forms (particles, fibers, films, membranes, or scaffolds), which prove excellent candidates for modern anti-infective applications. This review contains an overview of antimicrobial polyester-based formulations, centered around the effect of the dimensionality over the properties of the material and the effect of the production route or post-processing actions.

Piezoelectric and Magnetically Responsive Biodegradable Composites with Tailored Porous Morphology for Biotechnological Applications

The biomedical area in the scope of tissue regeneration pursues the development of advanced materials that can target biomimetic approaches and, ideally, have an active role in the environment they are placed in. This active role can be related to or driven by morphological, mechanical, electrical, or magnetic stimuli, among others. This work reports on the development of active biomaterials based on poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid), PHBV, a piezoelectric and biodegradable polymer, for tissue regeneration application by tailoring its morphology and functional response. PHBV films with different porosities were obtained using the solvent casting method, resorting to high-boiling-point solvents, as N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and the combination of chloroform (CF) and DMF for polymer dissolution. Furthermore, magnetoelectric biomaterials were obtained through the combination of the piezoelectric PHBV with magnetostrictive iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles. Independently of the morphology or filler content, all biomaterials proved to be suitable for biomedical applications.

A review on contemporary nanomaterial-based therapeutics for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) with special reference to the Indian scenario

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a predominant chronic metabolic syndrome, resulting in various complications and high mortality associated with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Approximately 15-30% of diabetic patients suffer from DFUs, which is expected to increase annually. The major challenges in treating DFUs are associated with wound infections, alterations to inflammatory responses, angiogenesis and lack of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Furthermore, the lack of targeted therapy and efficient wound dressings for diabetic wounds often results in extended hospitalization and limb amputations. Hence, it is essential to develop and improve DFU-specific therapies. Nanomaterial-based innovative approaches have tremendous potential for preventing and treating wound infections of bacterial origin. They have greater benefits compared to traditional wound dressing approaches. In this approach, the physiochemical features of nanomaterials allow researchers to employ different methods for diabetic wound healing applications. In this review, the status and prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and amputations due to DFUs in India, the pathophysiology of DFUs and their complications are discussed. Additionally, nanomaterial-based approaches such as the use of nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, nanoliposomes and nanofibers for the treatment of DFUs are studied. Besides, emerging therapeutics such as bioengineered skin substitutes and nanomaterial-based innovative approaches such as antibacterial hyperthermia therapy and gene therapy for the treatment of DFUs are highlighted. The present nanomaterial-based techniques provide a strong base for future therapeutic approaches for skin regeneration strategies in the treatment of diabetic wounds.