Search Results (569)

Regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) are a promising treatment for immature teeth with pulpal necrosis. However, the outcomes remain unpredictable, partly due to scaffold limitations. Beta-glucan (BG), a bioactive polysaccharide with regenerative properties, may enhance scaffold performance. This study aimed to fabricate BG-coated polyvinylpyrrolidone/cellulose acetate (PVP/CA) electrospun scaffolds and evaluate their physicochemical properties and cell attachment. Electrospun scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning a 10% w/v PVP/CA (70:30) solution in acetone and N,N-dimethylacetamide (2:1) (PC). BG (8% w/v in 1 M NaOH) was electrosprayed onto the scaffold at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mL volumes, generating PC-BG01, PC-BG02, and PC-BG04, respectively. Scaffold characterization included SEM, FTIR, BG enzymatic assay, water absorbance, degradation, and cell adhesion assays. SEM images of the scaffolds exhibited smooth cylindrical fibers (547.3–585.9 nm diameter) with high porosity (42.37–49.91%). BG particles were confirmed by elemental analysis and BG enzymatic assay. At 28 days, the PC group showed significant fiber diameter and porosity reduction. BG particle degradation was observed at 14 and 28 days. Notably, BG-coated scaffolds significantly enhanced initial apical papilla cell adhesion at 1 and 24 h. These findings highlight the potential of BG-coated scaffolds as bioactive scaffolds for REPs. Full article

Cell-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) self-assembly provides a biologically relevant approach for developing near-physiological tissue-engineered constructs by utilizing stromal cells to secrete and assemble ECM components in the presence of ascorbic acid. Despite its unique advantages, this method often results in scaffolds with limited mechanical properties, depending on the cell type. This research aimed to enhance the mechanical properties of these constructs by culturing cells derived from various sources, including skin, bladder, urethra, vagina, and adipose tissue, on electrospun scaffolds composed of polycaprolactone and collagen (PCLCOL). The hybrid scaffolds were evaluated using various in vitro assays to assess their structural and functional properties. Results showed that different stromal cells could deposit ECM on the PCLCOL with distinct composition compared to the ECM that was self-assembled on tissue culture plates (TCP). Additionally, cells cultured on PCLCOL exhibited a different growth factor secretion profile compared to those on TCP. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the hybrid scaffolds exhibited high mechanical properties and superior manipulability. These findings suggest that PCLCOL could be a promising platform for developing biomimetic scaffolds that combine enhanced mechanical strength with integrated biological cues for tissue repair. Full article

Wound healing remains a significant clinical challenge due to antibiotic-resistant pathogens, persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired tissue regeneration. Conventional therapies are often inadequate, necessitating alternative strategies. Plant bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and alkaloids, offer antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and pro-angiogenic properties that directly address these challenges in wound healing therapy. However, their poor solubility, instability, and rapid degradation at the wound site limit clinical translation. Biomaterial-based scaffolds such as hydrogels, electrospun nanofibers, lyophilized dressings, and 3D-bioprinted constructs have emerged as promising delivery platforms to enhance bioavailability, stability, and sustained release of bioactive compounds while providing structural support for cell adhesion, proliferation, and tissue repair. This review was conducted through a structured literature search using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, covering studies published between 1998 and 2025, with keywords including wound healing, phytochemicals, plant bioactive compounds, scaffolds, hydrogels, electrospinning, and 3D bioprinting. The findings highlight how incorporation of plant bioactive compounds onto scaffolds can combat resistant microbial infections, mitigate oxidative stress, promote angiogenesis, and accelerate tissue regeneration. Despite these promising outcomes, further optimization of scaffold design, standardization of bioactive formulations, and translational studies are needed to bridge laboratory research with clinical applications for next generation wound healing therapies. Full article

Background/Objectives: The design of scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix has gained increasing attention in regenerative medicine. This study aims to develop and characterize electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds based on pullulan blended with either gelatin or gliadin and doped with selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs), to assess the influence of protein type and Se NP doping on scaffold performance and regenerative potential. Methods: Se NPs were synthesized via redox reaction and stabilized using pullulan. Electrospun scaffolds were then prepared by blending pullulan-stabilized Se NPs with either gelatin or gliadin. The resulting fibers were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach, including physicochemical (morphology, fiber dimension, swelling capacity, surface zeta potential, mechanical properties) and preclinical properties (antioxidant properties, fibroblast adhesion and proliferation, collagen expression). Results: Protein type influenced fiber morphology and dimensions, as well as mechanical behavior, with gelatin-based scaffolds demonstrating smaller fiber diameters and higher mechanical properties. The doping with Se NPs enhanced scaffold antioxidant properties without affecting fiber formation. Moreover, all scaffolds supported fibroblast proliferation, but those containing Se NPs showed enhanced modulation of ECM gene expression. Conclusions: The results show that scaffolds doped with Se NPs exhibited superior performance compared to the undoped counterparts, offering promising platforms for chronic wound reparation. Full article

Neural tissue injuries, including spinal cord damage and neurodegenerative diseases, pose a major clinical challenge due to the central nervous system’s limited regenerative capacity. Current treatments focus on stabilization and symptom management rather than functional restoration. Tissue engineering offers new therapeutic perspectives, particularly through the combination of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Electrospun fibers mimic the neural extracellular matrix, providing topographical and mechanical cues that enhance MSC adhesion, viability, and neural differentiation. MSCs are multipotent stem cells with robust paracrine and immunomodulatory activity, capable of supporting regeneration and, under proper stimuli, acquiring neural-like phenotypes. This systematic review, following the PRISMA 2020 method, analyzes 77 selected articles from the last ten years to assess the potential of electrospun biopolymer scaffolds for MSC-mediated neural repair. We critically examine the scaffold’s composition (synthetic and natural polymers), fiber architecture (alignment and diameter), structural and mechanical properties (porosity and stiffness), and biofunctionalization strategies. The influence of MSC tissue sources (bone marrow, adipose, and dental pulp) on neural differentiation outcomes is also discussed. The results of a literature search show both in vitro and in vivo enhanced neural marker expression, neurite extension, and functional recovery when MSCs are seeded onto optimized electrospun scaffolds. Therefore, integrating stem cell therapy with advanced biomaterials offers a promising route to bridge the gap between neural injury and functional regeneration. Full article

Hernia repair is among the most frequent procedures in general surgery, traditionally performed with synthetic meshes such as polypropylene. While effective in reducing recurrence, these materials are biologically inert and often trigger chronic inflammation, fibrosis, pain, and impaired abdominal wall function, with a significant impact on long-term quality of life. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, and relevant preclinical, clinical, and review articles were synthesized within a narrative review framework. Recent advances in tissue engineering propose a shift from passive reinforcement to regenerative strategies based on biomimetic scaffolds, nanomaterials, and nanocomposites that replicate the extracellular matrix, enhance cell integration, and provide controlled drug delivery. Nanotechnology enables localized release of anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and pro-angiogenic agents, while electrospun nanofibers and composite scaffolds improve strength and elasticity. In parallel, 3D printing allows for patient-specific implants with tailored architecture and regenerative potential. Although preclinical studies show encouraging results, clinical translation remains limited by cost, regulatory constraints, and long-term safety uncertainties. Overall, these innovations highlight a transition toward personalized and regenerative hernia repair, aiming to improve durability, function, and patient quality of life. Full article

Chronic wounds and post-operative complications generate significant biomedical challenges due to impaired tissue regeneration and persistent microbial infections, often aggravated by biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. To address these issues, this study investigates the development and in vitro evaluation of electrospun polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) scaffolds embedded with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), designed as multifunctional bioactive platforms for wound healing and implant applications. AgNPs were synthesized and uniformly incorporated into the PVP matrix using optimized electrospinning parameters, harnessing their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties alongside the hydrophilicity, biocompatibility, and chemical stability of PVP. Structural and mechanical characterization, including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), homogenous nanoparticle dispersion, and favorable mechanical properties, such as Young’s modulus. In vitro cytotoxicity assays with fibroblast cell lines demonstrated good biocompatibility, while antibiofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus revealed significant microbial inhibition. Overall, electrospun PVP+AgNPs scaffolds demonstrate strong potential as multifunctional biomaterials for wound healing and implant coating due to their synergistic capacity to support tissue regeneration and inhibit infection. These promising results highlight the need for further in vitro and in vivo investigation to confirm their therapeutic efficacy, biocompatibility, and long-term stability in physiological environments. Full article

Sodium alginate (SA) has the advantages of good biocompatibility, water absorption, oxygen permeability, non-toxicity, and film-forming properties. SA is compounded with other materials to formulate a spinning solution. Subsequently, electrospinning is employed to fabricate nanofiber membranes. These membranes undergo cross-linking modification or hydrogel composite functionalization, yielding nanofiber composites exhibiting essential properties, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and antimicrobial activity. Consequently, these functionalized composites are widely utilized in tissue engineering, regenerative engineering, biological scaffolds, and drug delivery systems, among other biomedical applications. This work reviews the sources, characteristics, and electrospinning preparation methods of SA, with a focus on the application and research status of SA composite nanofibers in tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressings, drug delivery, and other fields. It can be concluded that SA electrospun nanofibers have great development potential and application prospects in biomedicine, which could better meet the increasingly complex and diverse needs of tissue or wound healing. At the same time, the future development trend of SA composite nanofibers was prospected in order to provide some theoretical reference for the development of biomedical textiles and to promote its development in the direction of being green, safe, and efficient. Full article

The integration of nanomaterials within hydrogel scaffolds offers significant promise in bone tissue engineering by improving mechanical performance and modulating cellular responses through mechanotransductive and biochemical signaling. Previous studies have demonstrated that nanodiamonds (NDs) incorporated in electrospun microfibrillar meshes enhance cellular adhesion, spreading, and cytoskeletal organization through localized mechanical reinforcement. However, the effects of ND loading into soft, bioinert three-dimensional hydrogel matrices remain underexplored. Here, we developed nanostructured 3D printing inks composed of gellan gum (GG) supplemented with a low content of ND nanoadditive (0–3% w/v). ND integration improved the shear-thinning properties of the formulation, enabling consistent filament formation and reliable extrusion-based 3D printing. Structural and mechanical assessments confirmed enhanced scaffold morphology, reduced deformation, and improved morphostructural integrity under compression and increased local stiffness at 2% ND loading (GG_ND2%). Biological assessments revealed that increasing ND content enhanced murine preosteoblast viability, proliferation, and attachment, particularly in GG_ND2%. Furthermore, bioactivation of the GG_ND2% formulation with icariin (ICA), a bioflavonoid known for its osteogenic and angiogenic activity, amplified the beneficial cellular responses of MG-63 cells to ND loading, promoting enhanced surface mineralization and improved cell–matrix interactions. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of ND-reinforced GG scaffolds bioactivated with ICA, integrating structural reinforcement and biological functionalities that may support osteogenic responses. Full article

Biomaterials modified by antibacterial substances, including nanoparticles, open new opportunities for the effective treatment of infected wounds. Unfortunately, most publications focused only on experiments in vitro, with limited understanding of their potential for the clinic. This study evaluates the effectiveness in vivo of electrospun chitosan/polylactic acid (Ch/PLA) membranes enriched with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for purulent wound treatment. The composite biomaterial integrates chitosan’s biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity with PLA’s structural integrity, while AgNPs enhance antibacterial efficacy against major wound pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia aureus. A full-thickness purulent wound model was established in a rat model, and the animals were divided into three treatment groups: (i) Ch/PLA, (ii) Ch/PLA-AgNPs, and (iii) PLA-chlorhexidine (control). Wound healing was monitored over 21 days through macroscopic evaluation, histology, immunohistochemistry, and microbiological analysis. The Ch/PLA-AgNPs membranes significantly reduced bacterial colonization within 4–6 days, promoted granulation tissue formation, and accelerated epithelialization compared to the non-modified Ch/PLA scaffold. By day 15, complete wound closure was observed in the Ch/PLA-AgNPs group, comparable to PLA-chlorhexidine-treated wounds. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a controlled inflammatory response with a balanced macrophage M1/M2 transition, supporting efficient tissue regeneration. Furthermore, systemic toxicity assessments indicated no significant adverse effects on internal organs. These findings demonstrate that electrospun Ch/PLA-AgNPs membranes effectively accelerate purulent wound healing by combining antimicrobial protection with biocompatible tissue support. This innovative approach presents a promising alternative to conventional wound dressings and paves the way for clinical applications in managing infected wounds. Full article

Electrospun nanofiber membranes (ESNFMs) are exceptional biomaterials for tissue engineering, closely mimicking the native extracellular matrix. However, their inherent fragility poses significant handling, processing, and integration challenges, limiting their widespread application in advanced 3D tissue models and biofabricated devices. This study introduces a novel and on-mat framing technique utilizing extrusion-based printing of a UV-curable biocompatible resin (Biotough D90 MF) to create rigid, integrated support structures directly on chitosan–polyethylene oxide (PEO) ESNFMs. We demonstrate fabrication of these circular frames via precise 3D printing and a simpler manual stamping method, achieving robust mechanical stabilization that enables routine laboratory manipulation without membrane damage. The resulting framed ESNFMs maintain structural integrity during subsequent processing and exhibit excellent biocompatibility in standardized extract assays (116.5 ± 12.2% normalized cellular response with optimized processing) and acceptable performance in direct contact evaluations (up to 78.2 ± 32.4% viability in the optimal configuration). Temporal assessment revealed characteristic cellular adaptation dynamics on nanofiber substrates, emphasizing the importance of extended evaluation periods for accurate biocompatibility determination of three-dimensional scaffolds. This innovative biofabrication approach overcomes critical limitations of previous handling methods, transforming delicate ESNFMs into robust, easy-to-use components for reliable integration into complex cell culture applications, barrier tissue models, and engineered systems. Full article

Wound dressings prevent complications such as infections and potentially severe outcomes, including death, if wounds are left untreated. Wound dressings have evolved from rudimentary coverings made from natural materials to sophisticated, functionalized dressings designed to enhance wound healing and support tissue repair more effectively. These materials are often referred to as scaffolds in the literature, with wound dressing scaffolds intended to interact with native skin tissue and support tissue regeneration, whereas conventional wound dressings are designed primarily to protect the wound without directly interacting with the underlying tissue. However, there is a functional overlap between these categories, and the boundary is often blurred due to the increasing multifunctionality of modern wound dressings. This review will focus on developing wound dressings (scaffolds or not) based on fibers, their properties, and applications. Advances in nanomedicine have highlighted significant improvements in wound care by applying electrospun nanofibers that mimic the natural extracellular matrix. Therefore, this review explores recent advances in wound healing physiology, highlights nanofiber-based wound dressing materials developed through electrospinning, and distinguishes conventional dressings from multifunctional wound dressing scaffolds. Full article

Electrospun fibers, possessing biomimetic characteristics similar to fibrous extracellular matrices, have attracted widespread attention as scaffold materials for skin tissue engineering. The topographical structure of electrospun fibers plays a critical role in determining cell behavior. However, the effects of fiber topography on human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) remain unclear. In this study, electrospinning technology was employed to investigate how parallel and crossed fiber architectures influence the spreading morphology, proliferation, and migration of HSFs. The results demonstrated that cells exhibited spindle-shaped elongation along single fibers; on closely spaced parallel fibers, cells formed cross-adhesions between adjacent fibers, with a fiber spacing of 30–60 μm serving as the threshold range for distinguishing individual cell behaviors. At fiber intersections, a characteristic spacing of 100 μm distinguished three distinct cellular responses: anchoring, turning, and bridging. The probability of a cell altering its preexisting migration path depended on its ability to extend laterally and reach adjacent fibers, which was constrained by the upper limit of the cell body’s minor axis. This study elucidated the unique role of the electrospun fiber topography in guiding cellular decision-making in complex microenvironments, provided important insights into topography-triggered cell migration, and highlighted the practical significance of material-guided strategies in tissue engineering. Full article

Electrospinning with sequential layer deposition has been reported for various applications such as tissue scaffolds, shape memory materials, and separations. However, the effect of layering on the mechanical properties is not fully understood. In this work, layered structures of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and nylon were selected as a model system to investigate the effect of sequential layer deposition on mechanical properties. Evidence of the layered structure was indicated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) experiments. Layering TPU with nylon resulted in a 60-fold increase in the Young’s modulus. The Young’s modulus of the layered structure was reasonably predicted by the Voigt rule of mixtures. Furthermore, the Young’s modulus changes without any statistically significant change in elongation at break compared to a single layer of nylon. Thus, the elongation at break was dictated by the stiffer material, despite being present at a lower volume fraction. Overall, electrospinning with sequential layer deposition electrospinning is an effective approach for tuning the mechanical properties and surface chemistry of electrospun materials independently, which may be of interest for applications in tissue engineering and separations. Full article

This review is different from previous studies focusing on polypyrrole (PPy) in universal fields such as sensors and supercapacitors. It is the first TO systematically review the specific applications of PPy-based electrospun nanofiber composites in the biomedical field, focusing on its biocompatibility regulation mechanism and tissue repair function. Although PPy exhibits exceptional electrical conductivity, redox activity, and biocompatibility, its clinical translation is hindered by processing challenges and poor degradability. These limitations can be significantly mitigated through composite strategies with degradable nanomaterials, enhancing both process compatibility and biofunctionality. Leveraging the morphological similarity between electrospun nanofibers and the natural extracellular matrix (ECM), this work comprehensively analyzes the topological characteristics of three composite fiber architectures—randomly distributed, aligned, and core–shell structures—and elucidates their application mechanisms in nerve regeneration, skin repair, bone mineralization, and myocardial tissue reconstruction (e.g., facilitating oriented cell migration and regulating differentiation through specific signaling pathway activation). The study further highlights critical challenges in the field, including PPy’s poor solubility, limited spinnability, insufficient mechanical strength, and scalability limitations. Future efforts should prioritize the development of multifunctional gradient composites, intelligent dynamic-responsive scaffolds, and standardized biosafety evaluation systems to accelerate the substantive translation of these materials into clinical applications. Full article