A Multifunctional Electrospun Membrane for Full-Thickness Abdominal Wall Defect Repair
Qiaolin Ma1, Jiajie Liu2, Rui Tang2
1Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, China.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|June 4, 2026
Summary
Functionalizing nanofiber membranes with chitosan and loxoprofen reduces inflammation and improves tissue integration for abdominal wall repair. This strategy promotes better healing and mechanical properties in regenerated tissues.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Electrospun nanofiber membranes offer biomimetic structures for abdominal wall repair but can trigger a foreign body response (FBR) that hinders tissue integration.
- Existing anti-inflammatory strategies using ibuprofen (IBU) have limitations due to non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition and rapid clearance, reducing local efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To functionalize electrospun polylactic acid (PLA)/gelatin (Gel) nanofiber membranes with chitosan (CS) and loxoprofen (LOX) for sustained local immunomodulation and improved abdominal wall repair.
- To evaluate the physicochemical properties, drug release kinetics, immunomodulatory effects, and in vivo performance of the functionalized membranes in a preclinical model.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PLA/Gel nanofiber membranes functionalized with CS and LOX.
- Characterization of membrane properties, including drug release kinetics (28 days), antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and immunomodulatory effects on macrophages (gene expression, reactive oxygen species - ROS).
- Assessment of in vivo efficacy in a rat full-thickness abdominal wall defect model, evaluating cell infiltration, angiogenesis, tissue integration, mechanical properties, and collagen remodeling at 90 days.
Main Results:
- The PLA/Gel-CS-LOX membranes demonstrated sustained LOX release, potent antibacterial activity, good cytocompatibility, and suppressed pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages.
- In vivo studies showed enhanced cell infiltration, angiogenesis, and tissue integration in the defect area treated with PLA/Gel-CS-LOX membranes.
- Regenerated tissues at 90 days exhibited native-like mechanical properties and balanced collagen remodeling, indicated by normalized MMP9/TIMP1 expression.
Conclusions:
- CS-LOX functionalization of electrospun nanofiber membranes effectively modulates the inflammatory response and promotes functional tissue remodeling for abdominal wall repair.
- This approach offers a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of current meshes and improve clinical outcomes in abdominal wall reconstruction.
