Instant in-situ Tissue Repair by Biodegradable PLA/Gelatin Nanofibrous Membrane Using a 3D Printed Handheld Electrospinning Device

Abstract

Background: This study aims to design a 3D printed handheld electrospinning device and evaluate its effect on the rapid repair of mouse skin wounds.Methods: The device was developed by Solidworks and printed by Object 350 photosensitive resin printer. The polylactic acid (PLA)/gelatin blend was used as the raw material to fabricate in-situ degradable nanofiber scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and water vapor permeability test were used to evaluate the material properties of the scaffolds; cytotoxicity test was performed to evaluate material/residual solvent toxicity, and in situ tissue repair experiments in Balb/c mouse were performed.Results: The 3D printed handheld electrospinning device successfully fabricates PLA/gelatin nanofibrous membrane with uniformly layered nanofibers and good biocompatibility. Animal experiments showed that the mice in the experimental group had complete skin repair.Conclusions: The 3D printed handheld device can achieve in situ repair of full-thickness defects in mouse skin.

Electrospun Methacrylated Gelatin/Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Nanofibrous Hydrogel Scaffolds for Potential Wound Dressing Application

“…The MeGel nanofiber mats displayed a taro peak around 20°. When the different mass ratios of MeGel and PLLA were combined into nanofibers, the MeGel/PLLA nanofibers also exhibited a crystallization peak at roughly 16.6° [ 40 ].…”

“…Importantly, the Young’s modulus of our crosslinked MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats was all more than 30 MPa, which were significantly higher compared to the Gel/PLA un-crosslinked nanofiber mats [ 45 ]. For instance, the Young’s modulus of Gel/PLA nanofiber mats fabricated by Chen et al was only in the range of 0.2–1.37 MPa [ 40 ]. Taken together, the UV crosslinking process was demonstrated to significantly improve the structural stability and mechanical properties of MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats.…”

“…For instance, the 1:4 MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats with the lowest MeGel content exhibited a water contact angle of 0 • , and the water droplet was found to be rapidly spread and totally absorbed on the 1:4 MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats in 1 s. Basar et al found that the hydrophilicity of electrospun Gel/PCL nanofiber mats was significantly higher than that of PCL nanofiber mats (<0.1 • vs. ~116.7 • , respectively) [41]. Chen et al demonstrated that the hydrophilicity of the electrospun nanofiber mats was significantly improved by the addition of Gel (~32 • ) in comparison to PLLA alone (~134 • ) [40] Therefore, the introduction of Gel or MeGel into a hydrophobic scaffold or matrix is an effective way to improve hydrophilicity. tios.…”

State-of-the-Art Review of Electrospun Gelatin-Based Nanofiber Dressings for Wound Healing Applications

“…Moreover, the in situ dressings are especially suitable for wounds with irregular shapes. Most recently, Chen et al fabricated a handheld electrospinning device by using a 3D printer, and the gelatin/PLA nanofiber mats were electrospun on the mouse wound site to realize the in situ wound repair by using the as-fabricated handheld electrospinning setup ( Figure 7 ) [ 133 ]. The in vivo results indicated that the in situ electrospun gelatin/PLA nanofiber dressings exhibited an obviously increased repair for the acute injury wound comparing with the commercial gauzes.…”

Electrospun Nanofibers Revisited: An Update on the Emerging Applications in Nanomedicine

“…Other possible candidates for the electrospun polymer solution used for preparing wound dressings include, but are not limited to, zein/thyme essential oil (TEO) [ 199 ], zein/clove essential oil (CEO) [ 200 ], zein and cinnamon oil [ 201 ] and PLA/gelatin [ 202 ]. The essential oil in every combination has antibacterial activity, and some even are active against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as in cinnamon oil with an inhibition zone of around 5 cm.…”