Electrospun-Fibrous-Architecture-Mediated Non-Viral Gene Therapy Drug Delivery in Regenerative Medicine

Gene-based therapy represents the latest advancement in medical biotechnology. The principle behind this innovative approach is to introduce genetic material into specific cells and tissues to stimulate or inhibit key signaling pathways. Although enormous progress has been achieved in the field of gene-based therapy, challenges connected to some physiological impediments (e.g., low stability or the inability to pass the cell membrane and to transport to the desired intracellular compartments) still obstruct the exploitation of its full potential in clinical practices. The integration of gene delivery technologies with electrospun fibrous architectures represents a potent strategy that may tackle the problems of stability and local gene delivery, being capable to promote a controlled and proficient release and expression of therapeutic genes in the targeted cells, improving the therapeutic outcomes. This review aims to outline the impact of electrospun-fibrous-architecture-mediated gene therapy drug delivery, and it emphatically discusses the latest advancements in their formulation and the therapeutic outcomes of these systems in different fields of regenerative medicine, along with the main challenges faced towards the translation of promising academic results into tangible products with clinical application.

A Review on Curcumin-Loaded Electrospun Nanofibers and their Application in Modern Medicine

Herbal drugs are safe and show significantly fewer side effects than their synthetic counterparts. Curcumin (an active ingredient primarily found in turmeric) shows therapeutic properties, but its commercial use as a medication is unrealized, because of doubts about its potency. The literature reveals that electrospun nanofibers show simplicity, efficiency, cost, and reproducibility compared to other fabricating techniques. Forcespinning is a new technique that minimizes limitations and provides additional advantages to electrospinning. Polymer-based nanofibers-whose advantages lie in stability, solubility, and drug storage-overcome problems related to drug delivery, like instability and hydrophobicity. Curcumin-loaded polymer nanofibers show potency in healing diabetic wounds in vitro and in vivo. The release profiles, cell viability, and proliferation assays substantiate their efficacy in bone tissue repair and drug delivery against lung, breast, colorectal, squamous, glioma, and endometrial cancer cells. This review mainly discusses how polymer nanofibers interact with curcumin and its medical efficacy.

Curcumin-loaded nanofibers for targeting endometriosis in the peritoneum of a mouse model

Endometriosis is a common, chronic gynecological disorder associated with ongoing pelvic pain, infertility, and adhesions in reproductive age women. Current therapeutic strategies are not effective and the recurrent nature of endometriosis makes it difficult to treat. In this study, we have designed a drug delivery system to control sustained and prolonged release of curcumin in the peritoneum and pelvic cavity of a mouse model of endometriosis. Poly ε-Caprolactone (PCL) and poly ethylene glycol (PEG) polymers were used to synthesize curcumin loaded nanofibers. After scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation of the nanofiber's morphology, we evaluated the drug release profile and in vitro degradation rate of the curcumin-loaded nanofibers. Next, we tested these nanofibers in vivo in the peritoneum of an endometriosis mouse model to determine their anti-endometriosis effects. Histological evaluations were also performed. Curcumin loaded nanofibers were successfully synthesized in the 8 and 10 wt% polymers. The release test of the curcumin-loaded nanofibers showed that approximately 23% of the loaded curcumin was released during 30 min, 35% at 24 h, and 50% at 30 days. Endometriosis was successfully induced in Balb/c mice, as noted by the observed characteristics of endometriosis in all of the mice and confirmation of endometriosis by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. In vivo experiments showed the ability of these implanted curcumin loaded nanofibers to mitigate endometriosis. We observed a considerable reduction in the endometrial glands and stroma, along with significant reduction in infiltration of inflammatory cells. Implantable curcumin loaded nanofibers successfully mitigated intraperitoneal endometriosis.