Multifunctional electrospun nanofibers for cancer therapy and regenerative reconstruction: current progress and...

Breast cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women globally, and despite significant progress in standard treatment approaches, it is still associated with substantial recurrence rates and postoperative complications. Systemic toxicity, drug resistance, poor tumor targeting, and compromised quality of life limit current treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. In this context, multifunctional electrospun nanofibers have emerged as a promising platform for localized cancer therapy combined with regenerative reconstruction. This review comprehensively summarizes electrospun nanofiber-based systems for breast cancer management and associated biomedical applications. The fabrication techniques, including electrospinning, self-assembly, template synthesis, melt blowing, and centrifugal spinning, are critically discussed along with material selection using natural and synthetic polymers such as chitosan (CS), collagen, gelatin, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). Special emphasis is placed on advanced nanofiber architectures, including core-shell, pH-responsive, and thermo-responsive systems, which enable controlled and site-specific drug release. Furthermore, the review highlights the role of nanofibers in localized chemotherapy, preventing postoperative recurrence, tissue regeneration, wound healing, cardiovascular repair, gene delivery, and tissue engineering. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that nanofiber-based drug delivery systems significantly enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. Despite encouraging outcomes, challenges related to large-scale production, mechanical stability, long-term safety, regulatory approval, and clinical translation remain. Future research should focus on scalable fabrication, multifunctional design optimization, and patient-specific therapeutic strategies. Overall, electrospun nanofibers represent a highly versatile and transformative platform for integrated breast cancer therapy and regenerative medicine.