Recent Advancements in Electrospun Nanofibers for Wound Healing: Polymers, Clinical and Regulatory Perspective
Zeeshan Patel, Sankalp Gharat, Moawia M. Al-Tabakha, Akram Ashames, Sai H. S. Boddu, Munira Momin
Abstract
Wound management is an unmet therapeutic challenge and a global healthcare burden. Current treatment strategies provide limited efficiency in wound management, thus undergoing constant evolution in the treatment approaches. As wound healing is a complex physiological process involving precise synchronization of various phases like hemostasis, inflammation and remodelling, which necessitates innovative treatment strategies. Nanotechnology platforms like polymeric nanofibers (NFs) offer a promising solution for wound management. NFs contain a porous mesh-like structure that mimics the natural extracellular matrix and promote the cell adhesion and proliferation in the wound bed, thus displaying a great potential as a wound healing scaffold. Electrospinning is a simple, versatile and scalable technique for producing highly porous and tuneable NFs with a high surface area. Electrospun NFs are presenting extensive application in wound management, especially for burns and diabetic foot ulcers. This review briefly discusses the wound physiology and conventional treatment strategies. It also provides an overview of the electrospinning process and its principle, highlighting the application of electrospun polymeric NFs in wound management. The authors have made an attempt to emphasizes on the clinical challenges and future perspectives along with regulatory aspects of NFs as a wound dressing.