Nanofibrous Scaffolds: Promising Wound Dressing Materials

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2024) | Viewed by 8446

Special Issue Editor

Department of Chemistry, University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Interests: polymer-based drug delivery systems; wound dressings; organic synthesis; antimalarials; anticancer; polymer–drug conjugates
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite significant progress in the development of wound dressings, the availability of wound dressings for non-healing wounds, in addition to other types of injuries that require skin grafts, is still a challenge. The main limitation associated with some of the currently available wound dressings is their inability to promote skin regeneration. Other limitations include the inability to provide an appropriate environment for wound healing, and the prevention of microbial invasion. Nanofibrous scaffolds and wound dressings are promising and distinguished materials that mimic the fibrous component of the natural extracellular matrix. They are useful as carriers for skin cells, promote skin regeneration, prevent the invasion of wounds by microbes, and provide appropriate moisture to the damaged skin. Nanofibrous wound dressings are loaded with growth factors, antioxidants, hormones, antimicrobial agents, and vitamins. Nanofibrous scaffolds are classified as advanced wound dressings, and they can facilitate controlled drug release within the wound environment. In this Special Issue of Pharmaceutics, we aim to highlight recent advances in nanofibrous scaffolds for wound healing applications, preparation techniques, advantages and potential drawbacks, and the in vitro and in vivo outcomes of nanofibrous scaffolds. This Special Issue welcomes full research papers, communications, and up-to-date reviews.

Prof. Dr. Blessing Atim Aderibigbe
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • wound dressings
  • skin regeneration
  • biopolymers
  • synthetic polymers
  • chronic wounds
  • acute wounds
  • electrospun nanofibers
  • biomaterials
  • nanomaterials
  • advanced materials
  • polymer nanoparticles
  • antibacterial activity
  • nanofibrous scaffolds

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 7408 KiB  
Article
Hydrophilic Scaffolds Containing Extracts of Stryphnodendron adstringens and Abarema cochliacarpa for Wound Healing: In Vivo Proofs of Concept
by Maria C. M. A. Alves, Marismar F. Nascimento, Bernadeth M. de Almeida, Matheus M. A. Alves, Isabel B. Lima-Verde, Daniela S. Costa, Daniela C. Medeiros Araújo, Mariana N. de Paula, João C. P. de Mello, Amanda Cano, Patricia Severino, Ricardo L. C. de Albuquerque-Júnior, Eliana B. Souto and Juliana C. Cardoso
Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(10), 2150; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14102150 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2010
Abstract
The present work aimed to evaluate the healing effect of hydrophilic polymeric resorbable biomembrane scaffolds containing plant extracts obtained from two different species, both popularly known as Stryphnodendron adstringens or Barbatimão. The hydrogel-based scaffolds were characterized and submitted to biological tests using [...] Read more.
The present work aimed to evaluate the healing effect of hydrophilic polymeric resorbable biomembrane scaffolds containing plant extracts obtained from two different species, both popularly known as Stryphnodendron adstringens or Barbatimão. The hydrogel-based scaffolds were characterized and submitted to biological tests using Wistar rats to evaluate their healing capacity. The wound retraction index and the evaluation of the inflammatory process and tissue collagenization were recorded. The extracts showed antioxidant activity with IC50 between 10 and 20 µg/mL (DPPH assay) and 4–6 mmol Trolox/g (FRAP assay). The extract of Stryphnodendron adstringens (SA) presented gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, and O-methylpigalocatechin, while the extract of Abarema cochliacarpa (AC) presented catechin, dimers of procyanidins, di-O-hydroxide, O-deoxyhexosi-hexoside, and epicatechin. The membranes containing SA extract (GELSA) were more rigid, with a more intense color, but less thick, with a more compact structure and few pores. The membranes containing AC extract (GELAC) presented a mechanical profile like the gelatin membrane (GEL), with greater permeability to water vapor. The GELAC and GELSA membranes showed similar thermal degradation profiles. The wounds treated with the membranes containing the extracts obtained high levels of retraction of the wounds with values around 60% and 80% in three and seven days, respectively. These data indicate that the compounds of both species have promising biological activities in the repair process, showing that the extracts accelerated the healing process due to the lower intensity of the inflammatory reaction and the presence of compounds such as catechin and epigallocatechin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofibrous Scaffolds: Promising Wound Dressing Materials)
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Review

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24 pages, 2620 KiB  
Review
Phytoconstituent-Loaded Nanofibrous Meshes as Wound Dressings: A Concise Review
by Ameya Sharma, Divya Dheer, Inderbir Singh, Vivek Puri and Pradeep Kumar
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(4), 1058; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15041058 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1788
Abstract
In the past, wounds were treated with natural materials, but modern wound dressings include functional elements to expedite the process of healing and to improve skin recovery. Due to their exceptional properties, nanofibrous wound dressings are now the most cutting-edge and desirable option. [...] Read more.
In the past, wounds were treated with natural materials, but modern wound dressings include functional elements to expedite the process of healing and to improve skin recovery. Due to their exceptional properties, nanofibrous wound dressings are now the most cutting-edge and desirable option. Similar in structure to the skin’s own extracellular matrix (ECM), these dressings can promote tissue regeneration, wound fluid transportation, and air ductility for cellular proliferation and regeneration owing to their nanostructured fibrous meshes or scaffolds. Many academic search engines and databases, such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Sciencedirect, were used to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the literature for the purposes of this investigation. Using the term “nanofibrous meshes” as a keyword, this paper focuses on the importance of phytoconstituents. This review article summarizes the most recent developments and conclusions from studies on bioactive nanofibrous wound dressings infused with medicinal plants. Several wound-healing methods, wound-dressing materials, and wound-healing components derived from medicinal plants were also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofibrous Scaffolds: Promising Wound Dressing Materials)
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18 pages, 616 KiB  
Review
Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Diabetic Wound Healing
by Anna Yusuf Aliyu and Oluwatoyin A. Adeleke
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(3), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15030986 - 19 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2318
Abstract
Chronic wounds are one of the secondary health complications that develop in individuals who have poorly managed diabetes mellitus. This is often associated with delays in the wound healing process, resulting from long-term uncontrolled blood glucose levels. As such, an appropriate therapeutic approach [...] Read more.
Chronic wounds are one of the secondary health complications that develop in individuals who have poorly managed diabetes mellitus. This is often associated with delays in the wound healing process, resulting from long-term uncontrolled blood glucose levels. As such, an appropriate therapeutic approach would be maintaining blood glucose concentration within normal ranges, but this can be quite challenging to achieve. Consequently, diabetic ulcers usually require special medical care to prevent complications such as sepsis, amputation, and deformities, which often develop in these patients. Although several conventional wound dressings, such as hydrogels, gauze, films, and foams, are employed in the treatment of such chronic wounds, nanofibrous scaffolds have gained the attention of researchers because of their flexibility, ability to load a variety of bioactive compounds as single entities or combinations, and large surface area to volume ratio, which provides a biomimetic environment for cell proliferation relative to conventional dressings. Here, we present the current trends on the versatility of nanofibrous scaffolds as novel platforms for the incorporation of bioactive agents suitable for the enhancement of diabetic wound healing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofibrous Scaffolds: Promising Wound Dressing Materials)
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16 pages, 341 KiB  
Review
Modulation of Macrophage Function by Bioactive Wound Dressings with an Emphasis on Extracellular Matrix-Based Scaffolds and Nanofibrous Composites
by Tao He, Yuzhen Xiao, Zhijun Guo, Yifeng Shi, Qiuwen Tan, Yizhou Huang and Huiqi Xie
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(3), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15030794 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1709
Abstract
Bioactive wound dressings that are capable of regulating the local wound microenvironment have attracted a very large interest in the field of regenerative medicine. Macrophages have many critical roles in normal wound healing, and the dysfunction of macrophages significantly contributes to impaired or [...] Read more.
Bioactive wound dressings that are capable of regulating the local wound microenvironment have attracted a very large interest in the field of regenerative medicine. Macrophages have many critical roles in normal wound healing, and the dysfunction of macrophages significantly contributes to impaired or non-healing skin wounds. Regulation of macrophage polarization towards an M2 phenotype provides a feasible strategy to enhance chronic wound healing, mainly by promoting the transition of chronic inflammation to the proliferation phase of wound healing, upregulating the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines around the wound area, and stimulating wound angiogenesis and re-epithelialization. Based on this, modulation of macrophage functions by the rational design of bioactive scaffolds has emerged as a promising way to accelerate delayed wound healing. This review outlines current strategies to regulate the response of macrophages using bioactive materials, with an emphasis on extracellular matrix-based scaffolds and nanofibrous composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofibrous Scaffolds: Promising Wound Dressing Materials)
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