The methods to provide functions to nanofiber webs and applications, characterization, evaluation methods, market value, and future directions of nanofiber webs are summarized and presented in this review. Incorporating drugs, nanoparticles, functional matters, or arranging special surface structures are customarily used methods to furnish the performance of nanofibers. The promising application areas of nanofiber webs include drug delivery, water filtration, biomedical application, energy storage protective clothing, and air/gas filtration. The characterization of nanofiber webs includes general and functional properties. The market values of nanofiber products are summarized and analyzed based on the reports conducted by BBC Research.

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Glia cells provide supportive functions to the central nervous system and can be compromised by environmental contaminants. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the effects of in vitro exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, a persistent environmental contaminant and/or monocrotophos (MCP), a neurotoxic organophosphate that is rapidly metabolized, to astroglia SVG p12 cells. The endpoints evaluated include cell viability, intracellular glutamate levels as a marker of astrocyte homeostasis function, differential gene expression for selected proteins, which include inflammatory markers (tachykinin), astrocytosis (nestin), S100B, and metabolism enzymes (CYP1A1). The results from cell viability revealed significant differences from the controls at some of the concentrations tested. Also, intracellular glutamate levels were elevated at the 10‐μM concentration for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as well as the 10‐μM PFOA/5‐μM MCP concentration. Gene expression results at 80‐μM PFOA concentration revealed a significant increase in the expression of S100B, tachykinin and CYP1A1. A combination of 10‐μM PFOA/20‐μM MCP caused a significant decrease in the expression of tachykinin. Gene expression for MCP exposures produced a decrease at the 20‐μM MCP concentration. Immunofluorescence results indicated an increase in nestin protein expression for the 20‐μM concentration of MCP, which contradicted the gene expression at the same concentration tested. The results indicate that toxicity to glia cells can compromise critical glia functions and could be implicated in neurodegenerative diseases.

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Nanofiber substrates have been used for various biomedical applications, including tissue regeneration, drug delivery, and in-vitro cell culture. However, despite the high volume of studies in this field, current clinical applications remain minimal. Innovations for their applications continuously generate exciting prospects. In this review, we discuss some of these novel innovations and identify critical factors to consider before their adoption for biomedical applications.