Electrospun nanofiber/hydrogel composite materials and their tissue engineering applications

Electrospun nanofiber/hydrogel composites combine the excellent biochemical properties of hydrogel with the biomimetic nature of electrospun fibers,and have attracted widespread attention in the last few years.Besides,nanofiber/hydrogel composites with tunable mechanical properties can mimic the microstructure of extracellular matrix(ECM)of various tissues and the microenvironment of different cells.These features enable electrospun fiber/hydrogel composites have uniquely advantageous for tissue repair.However,a comprehensive review of electrospun fiber/hydrogel composites as tissue engineering scaffolds is still lacking.Thus,this article systematically reviewed the preparation of electrospun fiber/hydrogel composites and their application in tissue engineering.First,the preparation strategies of electrospun fiber/hydrogel composites are classified and discussed.Second,the application of electrospun fiber/hydrogel-based scaffolds in tissue engineering,involving skin,blood vessel,nerve,bone and other tissue engineering,are summarized.Finally,future research directions for functional electrospun fiber/hydrogel scaffold materials are proposed.

Electroactive and antibacterial wound dressings based on Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene/poly(ε-caprolactone)/gelatin coaxial electrospun nanofibrous membranes

Endogenous electric fields(EFs)are capable of regulating the behaviors of skin cells in wound healing.However,majority of current dressings are primarily engaged in the passive repair of defective tissue,as they lack the ability to actively respond to physiological electrical signals.In this work,a series of nanofibrous membranes(NFMs)were fabricated by coaxial electrospinning,combining the good mechanical properties of poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL),the bioactivity of gelatin and the electroactivity of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene,as electroactive and antibacterial dressings for cutaneous wound healing.The obtained NFMs exhibited suitable mechanical properties and hydrophilicity,excellent electroactivity,antibacterial activity,and biocompatibility.Especially,Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene/PCL/gelatin-6(MPG-6,6 wt.%of Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)MXene in sheath spinning liquids)showed the optimal conductivity and antibacterial activity.Excitingly,this scaffold significantly promoted the adhesion,proliferation,and migration of NIH 3T3 cells under the electrical stimulation(ES).The in vivo evaluation in a full-thickness wounds defect model demonstrated that the MPG-6 films significantly accelerated wound closure,increased granulation tissue formation,increased collagen deposition,and promoted wound vascularization.In summary,the versatile scaffold is expected to be an ideal candidate as wound dressings due to its ability to promote the transmission of physiological electrical signals and thus improved the therapeutic outcomes of wound regeneration.