Electrospun Nanofibers as Scaffolds for Wound Healing

A chronic non‐healing wound presents a challenging and escalating problem which exposes patients to a high risk of infection. Current treatment narrows in on wound dressings that keep an environment of equal moisture and gas balance. Antibacterial dressings with a responsive system to trigger release only when infection is present and methods stimulating cell development to promote healing have now been developed. However few of these dressings are effective in simultaneously treating infection and promoting wound healing. Electrospinning is a unique simple, cost‐effective, and reproducible approach using electrostatic forces that produce fine fibers from both synthetic and natural polymer solutions to address these specific wound challenges. Electrospun fibers provide high‐surface area, micro‐porosity, and the ability to load drugs or other biomolecules into the fibers. These fibers are being studied and have been developed because they hold considerable promise for realizing some advantages of nanostructured materials. Electrospun materials have been used as scaffolds for tissue engineering for a number of years, but there is little literature on the interactions of fibers with co‐cultures of cells and bacteria. This study presents an introduction to polymer nanofiber electrospinning, focusing on the use of natural proteins and synthetic peptides. We summarize key physical properties of protein‐based and peptide‐based nanofiber mats, survey biomedical applications of these materials, identify key challenges, and outline future prospects for development of the technology for tissue engineering and drug delivery to address the development of smart multifunctional wound dressings capable of treating infection and healing chronic wounds simultaneously. Support or Funding Information Supported by Institutional Resources of USAT, Einstein Medical Institute, and Biomaterials Laboratory, University of South Florida