Electrospinning for Mimicking Bioelectric Microenvironment in Tissue Regeneration

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Electric signals are crucial for tissue regeneration, with clinical electrotherapy showing effectiveness but facing challenges like invasiveness and infection risk.
• Electrospun scaffolds present an alternative to invasive electrodes, offering a way to deliver electrical stimulation non-invasively.
• Understanding the physiological roles of electrical cues and their signaling pathways is key to advancing regenerative therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the physiological cues of electric signals in tissue regeneration.
• To detail fabrication methods for electroactive electrospun scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix.
• To analyze strategies for imparting electroconductivity, piezoelectricity, or triboelectrification to scaffolds for enhanced cell signaling and electrical cue generation.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on electrospinning techniques, materials, and fabrication of electroactive scaffolds.
• Analysis of methods to induce surface potential, electroconductivity, piezoelectricity, and triboelectrification in scaffolds.
• Summary of smart applications of electroactive electrospun scaffolds in mimicking bioelectric niches.

Main Results:

• Electrospinning enables the creation of electroactive scaffolds that address limitations of clinical electrotherapy.
• Various methods exist to imbue scaffolds with electrical properties (e.g., conductivity, piezoelectricity, triboelectrification) for improved cell signaling and regeneration.
• Smart applications include conductive/piezoelectric scaffolds, composite implants, nanogenerators, and drug delivery systems.

Conclusions:

• Electroactive electrospun scaffolds show significant potential for mimicking bioelectric niches and promoting tissue regeneration.
• Further research and development are needed to overcome current challenges for successful clinical translation.
• These scaffolds offer a promising avenue for developing next-generation regenerative therapies with improved patient outcomes.