Granular Porous Nanofibrous Microspheres Enhance Cellular Infiltration for Diabetic Wound Healing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) pose a significant clinical challenge, often leading to amputation and reduced quality of life.
• Minimally invasive therapies, including modular scaffolds, are crucial for accelerating tissue repair in DFUs.
• Current treatments require advanced methods for effective therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile method for fabricating injectable granular nanofibrous microspheres (NMs) for DFU treatment.
• To evaluate the cytocompatibility, mechanical properties, and cell-safeguarding capacity of the NMs.
• To assess the in vivo efficacy of porous NMs in promoting diabetic wound healing.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of porous nanofibrous microspheres (NMs) using electrospinning and electrospraying of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and gelatin.
• In vitro assessment of cell adhesion with human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and mechanical properties of cell-laden NMs.
• In vivo evaluation in a diabetic mouse wound model to assess host cell infiltration, neovascularization, and re-epithelialization.

Main Results:

• Porous NMs showed enhanced HDF adhesion and superior performance compared to nonporous NMs due to interconnected pores.
• Cell-laden NMs exhibited increased Young's modulus, indicating improved material resiliency.
• Dynamic injection studies confirmed the NMs' ability to protect loaded cells under pressure.
• In vivo studies demonstrated that porous NMs promoted wound healing, including neovascularization and re-epithelialization.

Conclusions:

• The developed porous NMs are a viable, minimally invasive, injectable therapeutic option for DFUs.
• These NMs effectively promote tissue integration and regeneration, showing significant potential for DFU treatment.
• The technology offers an efficient approach for delivering therapeutics to accelerate tissue repair in diabetic wounds.