An electrospun scaffold integrating nucleic acid delivery for treatment of full-thickness wounds

Abstract

We developed a multi-functional construct capable of controlled delivery of bioactive substances that can improve wound repair by supporting the intrinsic ability of the skin to heal. We synthesized electrospun scaffolds—composed of a blend of the degradable polymers poly(L-lactide) (PLA) or polycaprolactone (PCL)—that produce highly efficient non-viral in vivo gene delivery to cells in the wound bed, provide a protective barrier during early wound healing, and support cell migration and growth. This multi-functional material was tested for its influence on wound healing: scaffolds were loaded with plasmids encoding keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and applied to full thickness wounds in mice. Compared to scaffolds with control plasmids, animals receiving the KGF plasmid-loaded scaffold produced significant enhancements in wound healing, which was quantified by improvements in the rate of wound re-epithelialization, keratinocyte proliferation, and granulation response. Further, we quantified the expression level of endogenous and plasmid-derived KGF in wound samples: qRT-PCR on wound sections revealed a correlation between the levels of plasmid-derived protein expression and histological analysis of wound healing, revealing an inverse relationship between the expression level of exogenous KGF and the size of the unhealed epithelial layer in wounds. Our findings suggest that engineered nanofiber PLA/PCL scaffolds are capable of highly efficient controlled DNA delivery and are promising materials for treatment of cutaneous wounds.

Layered superhydrophobic meshes for controlled drug release

“…Both meshes showed similar and low levels of fibrosis. These results were consistent with reports of biocompatibility of electrospun PCL-based meshes [47,48]. Notably, there was no perturbation of surrounding subcutaneous tissues and subjacent muscle that was observed in the injecton controls (Figure S5–S6).…”

Natural Polymer/Inorganic Material Based Hybrid Scaffolds for Skin Wound Healing

“…Electrospinning is the process of forming nanofibers by applying electric charge to a viscoelastic suspension such that electrostatic force becomes greater than surface 38 The diameter and size of the fibers can be controlled by changing the viscosity, temperature, feed rate, conductivity, voltage, size of orifice and distance between capillary and collector. 39 Zhuang et al have synthesized gelatin/chitosan/silver nanofibers in the diameter range of 220-400 nm which Dermal Tissue Engineering 7…”

<I>In Vitro</I> and <I>In Vivo</I> Evaluation of Pectin/Copper Exchanged Faujasite Composite Membranes

“…Early epithelialization was observed in case of Group 2 compared to control untreated rats, which provide a barrier to fluid and electrolyte loss and prevent infections. 123 From the routinely stained hematoxylin and eosin sections, it was found that inflammatory phase of Group 1 rats was prolonged compared to Group 2 rats. In case of Group 1 rats, the level of inflammation was amplified on day 3 compared to Group 2 rats (Fig.…”