Drug functionalized microbial polysaccharide based nanofibers as transdermal substitute.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in natural healing processes.
• Developing advanced wound healing materials is essential for faster tissue regeneration.
• Nanofibrous scaffolds offer promising biomimetic properties for therapeutic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate drug-functionalized nanofibrous transdermal substitutes for enhanced wound healing.
• To investigate the potential of gellan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers loaded with amoxicillin (Amx) for skin regeneration.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of these novel biomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of gellan and PVA to create nanofibrous scaffolds.
• Entrapment of amoxicillin (Amx) within the nanofibers.
• Physicochemical characterization using FESEM, FTIR, XRD, and TG analysis.
• In vitro cell culture studies with human keratinocytes.
• In vivo wound healing assessment on a rat model.

Main Results:

• Fabricated nanofibers successfully mimicked the ECM structure.
• Amoxicillin entrapment within gellan/PVA nanofibers was confirmed.
• Non-cytotoxic nanofibers significantly enhanced human keratinocyte adherence and proliferation.
• In vivo studies showed accelerated re-epithelialization and collagen deposition in wound sites.
• Amx-functionalized nanofibers demonstrated faster skin restoration.

Conclusions:

• Gellan-based electrospun nanofibers show significant potential as transdermal substitutes.
• The developed material promotes faster skin restoration through enhanced cellular activity and tissue regeneration.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for advanced wound management and neo-tissue regeneration.