G-CSF loaded nanofiber/nanoparticle composite coated with collagen promotes wound healing in vivo

Sustained release of functional growth factors can be considered as a beneficial methodology for wound healing. In this study, recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were incorporated in Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers, followed by surface coating with collagen type I. Physical and mechanical properties of the PCL nanofibers containing G-CSF loaded chitosan nanoparticles PCL/NP(G-CSF) and in vivo performance for wound healing were investigated. G-CSF structural stability was evaluated through SDS_PAGE, reversed phase (RP) HPLC and size-exclusion chromatography, as well as circular dichroism. Nanofiber/nanoparticle composite scaffold was demonstrated to have appropriate mechanical properties as a wound dresser and a sustained release of functional G-CSF. The PCL/NP(G-CSF) scaffold showed a suitable proliferation and well-adherent morphology of stem cells. In vivo study and histopathological evaluation outcome revealed that skin regeneration was dramatically accelerated under PCL/NP(G-CSF) as compared with control groups. Superior fibroblast maturation, enhanced collagen deposition and minimum inflammatory cells were also the beneficial properties of PCL/NP(G-CSF) over the commercial dressing. The synergistic effect of extracellular matrix-mimicking nanofibrous membrane and G-CSF could develop a suitable supportive substrate in order to extensive utilization for the healing of skin wounds. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2830-2842, 2017.