Professor University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Introduction: Electrospining has emerged as a versatile and transformative technique for the fabrication of nanofiber materials, which have shown promising in applications across various biomedical domains. However, several significant questions remain unanswered. For instance, can electrospun nanofibers sustainably deliver immunomodulating compounds topically to enhance human innate immunity? Is it possible to develop a robust approach for fabricating 3D nanofiber scaffolds with precise shapes and controlled characteristics such as fiber alignment, porosity, and pore size? Can these scaffolds be implanted into the body using minimal invasive surgery considering their current requirement for invasive surgical implantation? Additionally, can electrospun nanofibers be processed into microspheres or microcarriers for injectable therapy, and how effectively can they integrate with other technologies? In this study, we aim to answer these questions.
Materials and
Methods: The PCL/pluronic F127 nanofibers with and without drug loading were prepared by electrospinning. 3D scaffolds were fabricated using gas-foaming expansion technique. Aerogels and microspheres were obtained by assembly of short nanofiber segments. Scaffolds were tested in a rat critical-sized calvarial bone defect model. Aerogels were tested in a type 2 diabetic mouse wound model. Injectable aerogels were tested in a lethal porcine junctional hemorrhage model.
Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: In our studies, we have demonstrated the incorporation of bioactive materials to electrospun nanofibers using surface coating, blend electrospinning, and co-axial electrospinning. We also showed a gas-foaming expansion technique to convert 2D nanofiber membranes to 3D scaffolds with precise shape, pore size, and porosity. These 3D scaffolds are superelastic and shape recoverable and can be used for implantation in a minimally invasive manner. We further showed the fabrication of nanofiber aerogels and microsphere through the assembly of short nanofiber segments. Finally, we showed the integration of electrospun nanofibers with other technologies including microfluidic system, microneedle array, and electrostatic flocking to form new platforms. We demonstrated the applications of these materials for combating wound infection, enhancing wound healing, promoting bone regeneration, collecting biological samples, and hemostasis.
Acknowledgements (Optional): This work was partially supported by startup funds from UNMC, NIDCR of NIH under Award Number R01DE031272, NIGMS of NIH under Award Numbers R01GM123081 and R01GM138552, CDMRP/PRMRP FY19W81XWH2010207, NRI grant, and NE LB606.
