A Straightforward Approach towards Antibacterial and Anti‐Inflammatory Multifunctional Nanofiber Membranes with Sustained Drug Release Profiles

Abstract

Preventing bacterial infection and controlling the inflammatory response occupy important positions in wound treatment. Although loading wound dressings with antibacterial or anti-inflammatory drugs/molecules is an effective approach to address these issues, simultaneous sustained release of these drugs remains challenging. Herein, hydrophilic polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGC) and hydrophobic indomethacin (Indo) are loaded in hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers respectively by bidirectional electrospinning to form an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory PCL-Indo/PVA-PHGC wound dressing. The fabricated nanofiber membrane exhibits 100% disinfection activity to both Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria because of the release of the broad-spectrum antibacterial molecule PHGC. Additionally, the loading of Indo in the nanofiber membrane enhances the expression level of IL-10, while inhibiting those of IL-6 and TNF-𝜶 in the RAW264.7 mouse cells. In the interwoven membrane of PCL and PVA fibers, the release of hydrophobic Indo is hindered by hydrophilic PHGC and PVA fibers, and similarly, the release of hydrophilic PHGC is hindered by hydrophobic Indo and PCL fibers. In conclusion, the PCL-Indo/PVA-PHGC nanofiber membrane has excellent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and sustained-release effects, and thus regulates the immune microenvironment of the cells to potentially promote wound healing.

Fabrication and evaluation of a bi-layered electrospun PCL/PVA patch for wound healing: Release of vitamins and silver nanoparticle

“…The results demonstrated enhanced cell proliferation and adhesion, indicating the biocompatibility of the dressing. Similarly, Wang et al [ 59 ]evaluated the cell viability of PCL/PVA hydrogel dressings and observed improved cell attachment and viability compared to traditional wound dressings. In a study that was published in 2021, hybrid nanofibers made of PCL/PVA and biopolymers were created for use in wound dressings.…”

Exudate‐Induced Gelatinizable Nanofiber Membrane with High Exudate Absorption and Super Bactericidal Capacity for Bacteria‐Infected Wound Management

“…Pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) involved multiple processes, such as immune response, inflammation, and hematopoiesis during wound reparation. [69] The IL-6 provides an early favorable wound healing response through the activation of epithelial repair mechanisms; however, paradoxically, IL-6 also promotes inflammation by activating the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). [70,71] Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a central role in mediating the process of angiogenesis or new blood vessel formation, and the formation of blood vessels could facilitate wound repair by providing sufficient nutrients to the damaged tissue.…”

Multifunctional Drug- and AuNRs-Loaded ROS-Responsive Selenium-Containing Polyurethane Nanofibers for Smart Wound Healing

“…14 Indomethacin (Indo) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can inhibit the secretion of prostaglandins (PGs), reduce pain, and inflammation. 15 Bioactive dressings have garnered a lot of attention recently because of their unique evolution from merely covering and protecting wounds to multifunctional ones that are capable of addressing several issues along with acceleration of healing. 16 One of the bioactive dressings is polymer nanofibers with unique properties for local treatment of wounds due to their extraordinary drug loading capacity, high surface-to-volume ratio, porous microstructure, high gas permeability, etc.…”

“…However, their direct use is limited by their high molecular mass, short half-life, and hydrophilicity, etc . Indomethacin (Indo) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that can inhibit the secretion of prostaglandins (PGs), reduce pain, and inflammation …”