Cerium(III) Nitrate Containing Electrospun Wound Dressing for Mitigating Burn Severity.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Wound Care Innovations
• Nanotechnology Applications

Background:

• Thermal injuries require prompt treatment to prevent tissue damage and infection.
• Surgical debridement is crucial but challenging in prolonged field care (PFC) settings.
• Alternative methods for burn stabilization are needed for remote or low-resource environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To incorporate cerium(III) nitrate into an electrospun dressing for controlled release.
• To compare coaxial and traditional electrospinning methods for dressing fabrication.
• To evaluate the physical properties, cerium loading, release kinetics, and cytocompatibility of the developed dressings.

Main Methods:

• Coaxial and traditional electrospinning techniques were used to create polyethylene oxide (PEO)/cerium(III) nitrate nanofiber dressings.
• Scanning electron microscopy and helium pycnometry assessed topography, morphology, and porosity.
• Cerium loading efficiency, release rates, and cytocompatibility were evaluated in vitro.

Main Results:

• Electrospun dressings exhibited randomly aligned polymer nanofibers.
• Coaxially spun dressings showed 33% higher cerium(III) nitrate loading compared to traditionally spun ones.
• All PEO-based dressings released their contents within one hour with no observed cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

• Successful incorporation of cerium(III) nitrate into electrospun PEO dressings was achieved.
• Coaxial electrospinning enhances cerium loading efficiency for burn wound applications.
• These novel dressings show potential for stabilizing thermal injuries in resource-limited settings.