Electrospun Polymer Fiber Mats for Persulfide Prodrug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• Endogenous reactive sulfur species, including persulfides (RSSH) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), play critical roles in physiological processes such as vasculogenesis and tissue repair.
• Controlled delivery of these bioactive molecules remains a challenge in tissue engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate electrospun polymeric fiber mats capable of controlled release of reactive sulfur species.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these fiber mats in promoting endothelial cell function and viability for tissue engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of persulfide (RSSH) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors into electrospun polymeric fibers.
• Characterization of small molecule release kinetics from the fiber mats.
• Assessment of human microvascular endothelial cell (HMVEC) tube formation under oxidative stress.
• Evaluation of HMVEC viability on the fabricated electrospun fiber mats.

Main Results:

• The electrospun fiber mats demonstrated controlled release of incorporated RSSH/H2S donors, with 20-50% analyte release within 4 hours.
• Persulfide donors significantly improved tube formation in HMVECs under hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative conditions compared to controls.
• Cell viability assays confirmed that HMVECs cultured on the fiber mats maintained >80% viability across all tested groups.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun fiber mats can be effectively designed for the controlled release of reactive sulfur species, offering a promising strategy for tissue engineering.
• This approach addresses the challenge of delivering beneficial sulfur species to support tissue repair and regeneration, particularly in promoting vasculogenesis.
• The developed technology provides a novel platform for creating advanced tissue engineering constructs with enhanced therapeutic potential.