Electrospinning: An enabling nanotechnology platform for drug delivery and regenerative medicine

Recent Advances in Functional Polymer Materials for Energy, Water, and Biomedical Applications: A Review

Academic research regarding polymeric materials has been of great interest. Likewise, polymer industries are considered as the most familiar petrochemical industries. Despite the valuable and continuous advancements in various polymeric material technologies over the last century, many varieties and advances related to the field of polymer science and engineering still promise a great potential for exciting new applications. Research, development, and industrial support have been the key factors behind the great progress in the field of polymer applications. This work provides insight into the recent energy applications of polymers, including energy storage and production. The study of polymeric materials in the field of enhanced oil recovery and water treatment technologies will be presented and evaluated. In addition, in this review, we wish to emphasize the great importance of various functional polymers as effective adsorbents of organic pollutants from industrial wastewater. Furthermore, recent advances in biomedical applications are reviewed and discussed.

Melt-extrusion 3D printing of resorbable levofloxacin-loaded meshes: Emerging strategy for urogynaecological applications

Current surgical strategies for the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunctions involve the placement of a polypropylene mesh into the pelvic cavity. However, polypropylene meshes have proven to have inadequate mechanical properties and have been associated to the arising of severe complications, such as infections. Furthermore, currently employed manufacturing strategies are unable to produce compliant and customisable devices. In this work, polycaprolactone has been used to produce resorbable levofloxacin-loaded meshes in two different designs (90° and 45°) via melt-extrusion 3D printing. Drug-loaded meshes were produced using a levofloxacin concentration of 0.5% w/w. Drug loaded meshes were successfully produced with highly reproducible mechanical and physico-chemical properties. Tensile test results showed that drug-loaded 45° meshes possessed a mechanical behaviour close to that of the vaginal tissue (E ≃ 8.32 ± 1.85 MPa), even after 4 weeks of accelerated degradation. Meshes released 80% of the loaded levofloxacin in the first 3 days and were capable of producing an inhibitory effect against S. Aureus and E. coli bacterial strains with an inhibition zone equal to 12.8 ± 0.45 mm and 15.8 ± 0.45 mm respectively. Thus, the strategy adopted in this work holds great promise for the manufacturing of custom-made surgical meshes with antibacterial properties.

Electrospun ethyl cellulose/poly caprolactone/gelatin nanofibers: The investigation of mechanical, antioxidant, and antifungal properties for food packaging

The purpose of the present research was to fabricate ethylcellulose (ECL)/polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin (GEL) electrospun nanofibers containing Zataria multiflora essential oil (ZEO) and zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO) to provide an appropriate substrate for food packaging. The ECL/PCL/GEL was incorporated with ZEO and ZnO at the concentrations of 10, 20, 30 and 50 wt% and 3 wt%, respectively. The results of ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO nanofiber exhibited uniform morphology with a mean diameter ranging from 361.85 ± 18.7 to 467.33 ± 14.50 nm and enhanced thermal stability. The ECL/PCL/GEL/ZEO/ZnO nanofiber had the highest mechanical parameters, such as young's modulus (437.49 ± 18), tensile strength (7.88 ± 0.7), and elongation at break (5.02 ± 0.6) and water contact angle (61.13 ± 0.5), compared with the other nanofibers. The cell viability during 48 and 72 h was obtained to be about more than 80% for all the nanofibers. Additionally, the ECL/PCL/GEL incorporated with 50% ZEO and 3% ZnO displayed the highest antioxidant activity (34.61 ± 1.98%) and antifungal properties against Penicillium notatum and Aspergillus niger. In general, the ECL/PCL/GEL with the weight ratio of 20:70:10 nanofiber incorporated with 30% ZEO and 3% ZnO was obtained to have appropriate mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties and thermal stability.

Magnetic Carbon Nanofiber Mats for Prospective Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) Sensing Applications

Electrospinning enables simple and cost-effective production of magnetic nanofibers by adding nanoparticles to a polymer solution. In order to increase the electrical conductivity of such nanofibers, the carbonization process is crucial. In this study, the chemical and morphological properties of magnetic nanofiber mats prepared from polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/magnetite were investigated. In our previous studies, PAN/magnetite nanofiber mats were carbonized at 500 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C. Here, PAN/magnetite nanofiber mats were carbonized at 1000 °C. The surface morphology of these PAN/magnetite nanofiber mats is not significantly different from nanofiber mats thermally treated at 800 °C and have remained relatively flexible at 1000 °C, which can be advantageous for various application fields. The addition of nanoparticles increased the average fiber diameter compared to pure PAN nanofiber mats and improved the dimensional stability during thermal processes. The high conductivity, the high magnetization properties, as well as shielding against electromagnetic interference of such carbonized nanofibers can be proposed for use in single photon avalanche diode (SPAD), where these properties are advantageous.

Application of Gold Nanoparticle-Based Materials in Cancer Therapy and Diagnostics

Several metal nanoparticles have been developed for medical application. While all have their benefits, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are ideal in cancer therapy and diagnosis as they are chemically inert and minimally toxic. Several studies have shown the potential of AuNPs in the therapeutic field, as photosensitizing agents in sonochemical and photothermal therapy and as drug delivery, as well as in diagnostics and theranostics. Although there is a significant number of reviews on the application of AuNPs in cancer medicine, there is no comprehensive review on their application both in therapy and diagnostics. Therefore, considering the high number of studies on AuNPs’ applications, this review summarizes data on the application of AuNPs in cancer therapy and diagnostics. In addition, we looked at the influence of AuNPs’ shape and size on their biological properties. We also present the potential use of hybrid materials based on AuNPs in sonochemical and photothermal therapy and the possibility of their use in diagnostics. Despite their potential, the use of AuNPs and derivatives in cancer medicine still has some limitations. In this review, we provide an overview of the biological, physicochemical, and legal constraints on using AuNPs in cancer medicine.

Electrospun poly (L-lactic acid)/gelatine membranes loaded with doxorubicin for effective suppression of glioblastoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo

Electrospun membranes are attracting interest as a drug delivery system because of their material composition flexibility and versatile drug loading. In this study, the electrospun membrane was loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) via electrostatic adsorption for long-term drug delivery. DOX loading process was optimized by varying temperature, time, drug concentration, pH and ionic strength of solutions. The loading process did not impair the structural properties of the membrane. Next, we investigated the drug release kinetics using spectroscopic techniques. The composite membranes released 22% of the adsorbed DOX over the first 48 h, followed by a slower and sustained release over 4 weeks. The DOX release was sensitive to acidic solutions that the release rate at pH 6.0 was 1.27 times as that at pH 7.4. The DOX-loaded membranes were found to be cytotoxic to U-87 MG cells in vitro that decreased the cell viability from 82.92% to 25.49% from 24 to 72 h of co-incubation. These membranes showed strong efficacy in suppressing tumour growth in vivo in glioblastoma-bearing mice that decreased the tumour volume by 77.33% compared with blank membrane-treated group on Day 20. In conclusion, we have developed an effective approach to load DOX within a clinically approved poly (L-lactic acid)/gelatine membrane for local and long-term delivery of DOX for the treatment of glioblastoma.

Study on the Preparation and Lipophilic Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Nanofiber Membranes via Green Electrospinning

As an environmentally friendly water-soluble polymer, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has attracted extensive attention because of its non-toxic, degradable, low cost, and good biocompatibility. Electrospinning is a kind of nanotechnology, and the nanofiber membrane prepared by it has the advantages of large surface area-to-volume ratios, nano- to micron-sized fibers, etc. Herein, a simple and facile one-step green electrospinning method was developed to fabricate various environmentally friendly PVA nanofiber membranes. The lipophilic properties of PVA membranes were investigated and optimized according different PVA concentrations. The PVA electrospun fiber prepared from the solution at a concentration of 10 wt% had the highest adsorption capacity for the adsorption of new and waste engine oils, and the waste engine oil adsorption capacity (12.70 g/g) was higher than that of new engine oil (11.67 g/g). It also has a relatively large BET surface area (12.05 m2/g), a pore volume (0.04 cm3/g), and an appropriate pore diameter (13.69 nm) and fiber diameter (174.21 nm). All electrospun PVA membranes showed excellent lipophilic properties due to their oil contact angles of much less than 30°. Therefore, PVA electrospun fibrous membranes have great application potential in the field of purifying engine oil due to the excellent lipophilic properties and oil absorption capacity.

Recent advances in human respiratory epithelium models for drug discovery

The respiratory epithelium is intimately associated with the pathophysiologies of highly infectious viral contagions and chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, presently the third leading cause of death worldwide with a projected economic burden of £1.7 trillion by 2030. Preclinical studies of respiratory physiology have almost exclusively utilised non-humanised animal models, alongside reductionistic cell line-based models, and primary epithelial cell models cultured at an air-liquid interface (ALI). Despite their utility, these model systems have been limited by their poor correlation to the human condition. This has undermined the ability to identify novel therapeutics, evidenced by a 15% chance of success for medicinal respiratory compounds entering clinical trials in 2018. Consequently, preclinical studies require new translational efficacy models to address the problem of respiratory drug attrition. This review describes the utility of the current in vivo (rodent), ex vivo (isolated perfused lungs and precision cut lung slices), two-dimensional in vitro cell-line (A549, BEAS-2B, Calu-3) and three-dimensional in vitro ALI (gold-standard and co-culture) and organoid respiratory epithelium models. The limitations to the application of these model systems in drug discovery research are discussed, in addition to perspectives of the future innovations required to facilitate the next generation of human-relevant respiratory models.

Luminous efficacy enhancement for LED lamps using highly reflective quantum dot-based photoluminescent films

In this study, a strongly reflective and photoluminescent (PL) poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) quantum dot (QD) hybrid nanofiber (PQHN) structure is introduced to enhance the luminous efficacy of QD-phosphor hybrid white light-emitting diodes (QD-WLEDs). As the thickness of PQHN film increases, the PL is found to continuously increase, exhibiting a maximum peak intensity at 120 μm, which is 1.92 times that at 12 μm, and showing the highest diffuse reflectance of 94.4% at 640 nm. Consequently, while using the QD-WLEDs, the PQHN structure achieves a 53.8% improvement in luminous flux compared with the traditional structure under a similar correlated color temperature (CCT) of 3,540 K, achieving a high luminous efficacy of 202.11 lm W^-1 for QD-WLEDs. In addition, the maximum deviation of the CCT is only 11 K when the current is changed from 50 to 950 mA, demonstrating good stability. Therefore, the PQHN films have great potential in lighting systems as a hybrid functional film including light conversion and reflectance.

An Overview of Engineered Hydrogel-Based Biomaterials for Improved β-Cell Survival and Insulin Secretion

Islet transplantation provides a promising strategy in treating type 1 diabetes as an autoimmune disease, in which damaged β-cells are replaced with new islets in a minimally invasive procedure. Although islet transplantation avoids the complications associated with whole pancreas transplantations, its clinical applications maintain significant drawbacks, including long-term immunosuppression, a lack of compatible donors, and blood-mediated inflammatory responses. Biomaterial-assisted islet transplantation is an emerging technology that embeds desired cells into biomaterials, which are then directly transplanted into the patient, overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Among various biomaterials, hydrogels are the preferred biomaterial of choice in these transplants due to their ECM-like structure and tunable properties. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of hydrogel-based biomaterials that are engineered for encapsulation of insulin-secreting cells, focusing on new hydrogel design and modification strategies to improve β-cell viability, decrease inflammatory responses, and enhance insulin secretion. We will discuss the current status of clinical studies using therapeutic bioengineering hydrogels in insulin release and prospective approaches.

Combining Biocompatible and Biodegradable Scaffolds and Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Chronic Wound Regeneration

Skin regeneration is a quite complex process. Epidermal differentiation alone takes about 30 days and is highly regulated. Wounds, especially chronic wounds, affect 2% to 3% of the elderly population and comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases. The prevailing reasons to develop skin wounds include venous and/or arterial circulatory disorders, diabetes, or constant pressure to the skin (decubitus). The hallmarks of modern wound treatment include debridement of dead tissue, disinfection, wound dressings that keep the wound moist but still allow air exchange, and compression bandages. Despite all these efforts there is still a huge treatment resistance and wounds will not heal. This calls for new and more efficient treatment options in combination with novel biocompatible skin scaffolds. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) is such an innovative addition to the treatment armamentarium. In one CAP application, antimicrobial effects, wound acidification, enhanced microcirculations and cell stimulation can be achieved. It is evident that CAP treatment, in combination with novel bioengineered, biocompatible and biodegradable electrospun scaffolds, has the potential of fostering wound healing by promoting remodeling and epithelialization along such temporarily applied skin replacement scaffolds.

Sequential Release of Paclitaxel and Imatinib from Core-Shell Microparticles Prepared by Coaxial Electrospray for Vaginal Therapy of Cervical Cancer

To optimize the anti-tumor efficacy of combination therapy with paclitaxel (PTX) and imatinib (IMN), we used coaxial electrospray to prepare sequential-release core–shell microparticles composed of a PTX-loaded sodium hyaluronate outer layer and an IMN-loaded PLGA core. The morphology, size distribution, drug loading, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), in vitro release, PLGA degradation, cellular growth inhibition, in vivo vaginal retention, anti-tumor efficacy, and local irritation in a murine orthotopic cervicovaginal tumor model after vaginal administration were characterized. The results show that such core–shell microparticles were of spherical appearance, with an average size of 14.65 μm and a significant drug-loading ratio (2.36% for PTX, 19.5% for IMN, w/w), which might benefit cytotoxicity against cervical-cancer-related TC-1 cells. The DSC curves indicate changes in the phase state of PTX and IMN after encapsulation in microparticles. The FTIR spectra show that drug and excipients are compatible with each other. The release profiles show sequential characteristics in that PTX was almost completely released in 1 h and IMN was continuously released for 7 days. These core–shell microparticles showed synergistic inhibition in the growth of TC-1 cells. Such microparticles exhibited prolonged intravaginal residence, a >90% tumor inhibitory rate, and minimal mucosal irritation after intravaginal administration. All results suggest that such microparticles potentially provide a non-invasive local chemotherapeutic delivery system for the treatment of cervical cancer by the sequential release of PTX and IMN.

Micro-and-nanometer topological gradient of block copolymer fibrous scaffolds towards region-specific cell regulation

Regulating cell behavior and function by surface topography has drawn significant attention in tissue engineering. Herein, a gradient fibrous scaffold comprising anisotropic aligned fibers and isotropic annealed fibers was developed to provide a controllable direction of cell migration, adhesion, and spreading. The electrospun aligned fibers were engraved to create surface gradients with micro-and-nanometer roughness through block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly induced by selective solvent vapor annealing (SVA). The distinct manipulation of cell behavior by annealed fibrous scaffolds with tailored self-assembled nanostructure and welded fibrous microstructure has been illustrated by in situ/ex situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and in vitro cell culture. Further insights into the effect of integrated gradient fibrous scaffold were gained at the level of protein expression. From the perspective of gradient topology, this region-specific scaffold based on BCP fibers shows the prospect of guiding cell migration, adhesion and spreading and provides a generic method for designing biomaterials for tissue-engineering.

Catalytic and Photocatalytic Electrospun Nanofibers for Hydrogen Generation from Ammonia Borane Complex: A Review

Hydrogen (H₂) is a promising renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuels since it can solve several environmental and economic issues. However, the widespread usage of H₂ is constrained by its storage and safety issues. Many researchers consider solid materials with an excellent capacity for H₂ storage and generation as the solution for most H₂-related issues. Among solid materials, ammonia borane (abbreviated hereafter as AB) is considered one of the best hydrogen storage materials due to its extraordinary H₂ content and small density. However, the process must be conducted in the presence of efficient catalysts to obtain a reasonable amount of generated H₂. Electrospun nanofibrous catalysts are a new class of efficient catalysts that involves the usage of polymers. Here, a comprehensive review of the ceramic-supported electrospun NF catalysts for AB hydrolysis is presented, with a special focus on catalytic and photolytic performance and preparation steps. Photocatalytic AB hydrolysis was discussed in detail due to its importance and promising results. AB photocatalytic hydrolysis mechanisms under light were also explained. Electrospun catalysts show excellent activity for AB hydrolysis with good recyclability. Kinetics studies show that the AB hydrolysis reaction is independent of AB concentration and the first-order reaction of NF catalysts.

Innovations in drug delivery for chronic wound healing

Wound healing is a varied and complex process designed to promptly restore standard skin structure, function, and appearance. To achieve this goal, different immune and biological systems participate in coordination through four separate steps, including homeostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and regeneration. Each step involves the function of other cells, cytokines, and growth factors. However, chronic ulcers, which are classified into three types of ulcers, namely vascular ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and pressure ulcers, cannot heal through the mentioned natural stages. It causes mental and physical problems for these people and, as a result, imposes high economic and social costs on society. In this regard, using a system that can accelerate the healing process of such chronic wounds, as an urgent need in the community, should be considered. Therefore, in this study, the innovations of drug delivery systems for the healing of chronic wounds using hydrogels, nanomaterial, and membranes are discussed and reviewed.

Translating complexity and heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor: 3D in vitro to in vivo models

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive type of cancer with an overall survival rate of less than 7-8%, emphasizing the need for novel effective therapeutics against PDAC. However only a fraction of therapeutics which seemed promising in the laboratory environment will eventually reach the clinic. One of the main reasons behind this low success rate is the complex tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, a highly fibrotic and dense stroma surrounding tumor cells, which supports tumor progression as well as increases the resistance against the treatment. In particular, the growing understanding of the PDAC TME points out a different challenge in the development of efficient therapeutics - a lack of biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models that resemble the complexity and heterogeneity of PDAC observed in patients. The purpose and scope of this review is to provide an overview of the recent developments in different in vitro and in vivo models, which aim to recapitulate the complexity of PDAC in a laboratory environment, as well to describe how 3D in vitro models can be integrated into drug development pipelines that are already including sophisticated in vivo models. Hereby a special focus will be given on the complexity of in vivo models and the challenges in vitro models face to reach the same levels of complexity in a controllable manner. First, a brief introduction of novel developments in two dimensional (2D) models and ex vivo models is provided. Next, recent developments in three dimensional (3D) in vitro models are described ranging from spheroids, organoids, scaffold models, bioprinted models to organ-on-chip models including a discussion on advantages and limitations for each model. Furthermore, we will provide a detailed overview on the current PDAC in vivo models including chemically-induced models, syngeneic and xenogeneic models, highlighting hetero- and orthotopic, patient-derived tissues (PDX) models, and genetically engineered mouse models. Finally, we will provide a discussion on overall limitations of both, in vitro and in vivo models, and discuss necessary steps to overcome these limitations to reach an efficient drug development pipeline, as well as discuss possibilities to include novel in silico models in the process.

Novel Poly(ester urethane urea)/Polydioxanone Blends: Electrospun Fibrous Meshes and Films

In this work, we report the electrospinning and mechano-morphological characterizations of scaffolds based on blends of a novel poly(ester urethane urea) (PHH) and poly(dioxanone) (PDO). At the optimized electrospinning conditions, PHH, PDO and blend PHH/PDO in Hexafluroisopropanol (HFIP) solution yielded bead-free non-woven random nanofibers with high porosity and diameter in the range of hundreds of nanometers. The structural, morphological, and biomechanical properties were investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and tensile tests. The blended scaffold showed an elastic modulus (~5 MPa) with a combination of the ultimate tensile strength (2 ± 0.5 MPa), and maximum elongation (150% ± 44%) in hydrated conditions, which are comparable to the materials currently being used for soft tissue applications such as skin, native arteries, and cardiac muscles applications. This demonstrates the feasibility of an electrospun PHH/PDO blend for cardiac patches or vascular graft applications that mimic the nanoscale structure and mechanical properties of native tissue.

Design and In Vitro Study of a Dual Drug-Loaded Delivery System Produced by Electrospinning for the Treatment of Acute Injuries of the Central Nervous System

Vascular and traumatic injuries of the central nervous system are recognized as global health priorities. A polypharmacology approach that is able to simultaneously target several injury factors by the combination of agents having synergistic effects appears to be promising. Herein, we designed a polymeric delivery system loaded with two drugs, ibuprofen (Ibu) and thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) to in vitro release the suitable amount of the anti-inflammation and the remyelination drug. As a production method, electrospinning technology was used. First, Ibu-loaded micro (diameter circa 0.95–1.20 µm) and nano (diameter circa 0.70 µm) fibers were produced using poly(l-lactide) PLLA and PLGA with different lactide/glycolide ratios (50:50, 75:25, and 85:15) to select the most suitable polymer and fiber diameter. Based on the in vitro release results and in-house knowledge, PLLA nanofibers (mean diameter = 580 ± 120 nm) loaded with both Ibu and T3 were then successfully produced by a co-axial electrospinning technique. The in vitro release studies demonstrated that the final Ibu/T3 PLLA system extended the release of both drugs for 14 days, providing the target sustained release. Finally, studies in cell cultures (RAW macrophages and neural stem cell-derived oligodendrocyte precursor cells—OPCs) demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and promyelinating efficacy of the dual drug-loaded delivery platform.

Recent advances of oral film as platform for drug delivery

Orally drug delivery film has received extensive interest duo to a distinct set of its advantageous properties compared to the traditional orally administered dosages, including faster rate of drug absorption, higher bioavailability and better patient compliance for children and elders with swallowing deficiencies. In particular, its potential capacity of delivering proteins and peptides has further attracted great attention. Lately, tremendous advances have been made in designing and developing both novel mucoadhesive films and orodispersible films to fulfill specific accomplishments of drug delivery. This review aims to summarize those newly developed oral films, discussing their formulation strategies, manufacturing methods as well as advantages and limitations thereof. Conclusions and future perspectives are also provided in brief.

Recent advances in PLGA-based biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration

Bone regeneration is an interdisciplinary complex lesson, including but not limited to materials science, biomechanics, immunology, and biology. Having witnessed impressive progress in the past decades in the development of bone substitutes; however, it must be said that the most suitable biomaterial for bone regeneration remains an area of intense debate. Since its discovery, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been widely used in bone tissue engineering due to its good biocompatibility and adjustable biodegradability. This review systematically covers the past and the most recent advances in developing PLGA-based bone regeneration materials. Taking the different application forms of PLGA-based materials as the starting point, we describe each form's specific application and its corresponding advantages and disadvantages with many examples. We focus on the progress of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds, three-dimensional (3D) printed scaffolds, microspheres/nanoparticles, hydrogels, multiphasic scaffolds, and stents prepared by other traditional and emerging methods. Finally, we briefly discuss the current limitations and future directions of PLGA-based bone repair materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: As a key synthetic biopolymer in bone tissue engineering application, the progress of PLGA-based bone substitute is impressive. In this review, we summarized the past and the most recent advances in the development of PLGA-based bone regeneration materials. According to the typical application forms and corresponding crafts of PLGA-based substitutes, we described the development of electrospinning nanofibrous scaffolds, 3D printed scaffolds, microspheres/nanoparticles, hydrogels, multiphasic scaffolds and scaffolds fabricated by other manufacturing process. Finally, we briefly discussed the current limitations and proposed the newly strategy for the design and fabrication of PLGA-based bone materials or devices.

Neuroprotective Effects of VEGF-A Nanofiber Membrane and FAAH Inhibitor URB597 Against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation-Induced Ischemic Neuronal Injury

INTRODUCTION

Brain ischemia is a common neurological disorder worldwide that activates a cascade of pathophysiological events involving decreases in oxygen and glucose levels. Despite substantial efforts to explore its pathogenesis, the management of ischemic neuronal injury remains an enormous challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that VEGF modified nanofiber (NF) materials and the fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 exert an influence on alleviating ischemic brain damage. We aimed to further investigate their effects on primary hippocampal neurons, as well as the underlying mechanisms following oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD).

METHODS

Different layers of VEGF-A loaded polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous membranes were first synthesized by using layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly of electrospinning methods. The physicochemical and biological properties of VEGF-A NF membranes, and their morphology, hydrophilicity, and controlled-release of VEGF-A were then estimated. Furthermore, the effects of VEGF-A NF and URB597 on OGD-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, neuronal apoptosis, and endocannabinoid signaling components were assessed.

RESULTS

The VEGF-A NF membrane and URB597 can not only promote hippocampal neuron adhesion and viability following OGD but also exhibited antioxidant/anti-inflammatory and mitochondrial membrane potential protection. The VEGF-A NF membrane and URB597 also inhibited OGD-induced cellular apoptosis through activating CB1R signaling. These results indicate that VEGF-A could be controlled-released by LBL self-assembled NF membranes.

DISCUSSION

The VEGF-A NF membrane and URB597 displayed positive synergistic neuroprotective effects through the inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative stress and activation of CB1R/PI3K/AKT/BDNF signaling, suggesting that a VEGF-A loaded NF membrane and the FAAH inhibitor URB597 could be of therapeutic value in ischemic cerebrovascular diseases.

Composite Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Nanofibers Embedding Differently-Shaped Gold Nanoparticles: Preparation and Characterization

Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous mats containing ad hoc synthesized gold nanostructures were prepared via a single-step electrospinning procedure and investigated as a novel composite platform with several potential applications. Specifically, the effect of differently shaped and sized gold nanostructures on the resulting mat physical-chemical properties was investigated. In detail, nearly spherical nanoparticles and nanorods were first synthesized through a chemical reduction of gold precursors in water by using (hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide as the stabilizing agent. These nanostructures were then dispersed in poly(vinyl alcohol) aqueous solutions to prepare nanofibrous mats, which were then stabilized via a humble thermal treatment able to enhance their thermal stability and water resistance. Remarkably, the nanostructure type was proven to influence the mesh morphology, with the small spherical nanoparticles and the large nanorods leading to thinner well defined or bigger defect-rich nanofibers, respectively. Finally, the good mechanical properties shown by the prepared composite mats suggest their ease of handleability thereby opening new perspective applications.

Effect of sodium alginate molecular structure on electrospun membrane cell adhesion

Alginate-based electrospun nanofibers prepared via electrospinning technique represent a class of materials with promising applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. However, to date, the effect of alginate molecular mass and block composition on the biological response of such systems remains to some extent unclear. As such, in the present work, three alginates (i.e., M.pyr, L.hyp, A.nod) with different molecular features are employed to prepare nanofibers whose ability to promote cell adhesion is explored by using both skin and bone cell lines. Initially, a preliminary investigation of the raw materials is carried out via rheological and zeta-potential measurements to determine the different grade of polyelectrolyte behaviour of the alginate samples. Specifically, both the molecular mass and block composition are found to be important factors affecting the alginate response, with long chains and a predominance of guluronic moieties leading to a marked polyelectrolyte nature (i.e., lower dependence of the solution viscosity upon the polymer concentration). Subsequently, physically crosslinked alginate nanofibrous mats are first morphologically characterized via both scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, which show a homogenous and defect-free structure, and their biological response is then evaluated. Noticeably, fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines do not show significant differences in terms of cell adhesion on the three mats (i.e., 30-40% and 10-20% with respect to the seeded cells, respectively), with the formers presenting a greater affinity toward the alginate-based nanofibers. Conversely, both the investigated osteoblast cells are characterized by a distinct behaviour depending on the alginate type. Specifically, polysaccharide samples with an evident polyelectrolyte nature are found to better promote cell viability (i.e., cell adhesion in the range 15-36% with respect to seeded cells) compared to the ones displaying a nearly neutral behaviour (i.e., cell adhesion in the range 5-25% with respect to seeded cells). Therefore, the obtained results, despite being preliminary, suggest that the alginate type (i.e., molecular structure properties) may play a topical role in conditioning the efficiency of healing patches for bone reparation, but it has a negligible effect in the case of skin regeneration.

Electrospun Janus Beads-On-A-String Structures for Different Types of Controlled Release Profiles of Double Drugs

A side-by-side electrospinning process characterized by a home-made eccentric spinneret was established to produce the Janus beads-on-a-string products. In this study, ketoprofen (KET) and methylene blue (MB) were used as model drugs, which loaded in Janus beads-on-a-string products, in which polyvinylpyrrolidone K90 (PVP K90) and ethyl cellulose (EC) were exploited as the polymer matrices. From SEM images, distinct nanofibers and microparticles in the Janus beads-on-a-string structures could be observed clearly. X-ray diffraction demonstrated that all crystalline drugs loaded in Janus beads-on-a-string products were transferred into the amorphous state. ATR-FTIR revealed that the components of prepared Janus nanostructures were compatibility. In vitro dissolution tests showed that Janus beads-on-a-string products could provide typical double drugs controlled-release profiles, which provided a faster immediate release of MB and a slower sustained release of KET than the electrospun Janus nanofibers. Drug releases from the Janus beads-on-a-string products were controlled through a combination of erosion mechanism (linear MB-PVP sides) and a typical Fickian diffusion mechanism (bead KET-EC sides). This work developed a brand-new approach for the preparation of the Janus beads-on-a-string nanostructures using side-by-side electrospinning, and also provided a fresh idea for double drugs controlled release and the potential combined therapy.

Asymmetric Wettable, Waterproof, and Breathable Nanofibrous Membranes for Wound Dressings

Despite the progression in wound treatment, the development of wound dressings with considerable skin regeneration capability and improved patient comfort still faces huge challenges. In this study, a type of asymmetric wettable gradient nanofibrous membrane, which is composed of a hydrophobic polyvinyl butyral (PVB)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) upper layer, a PVB-PDMS/gelatin middle layer, and a hydrophilic gelatin lower layer, has been fabricated. The PVB-PDMS upper layer gave dramatically elevated water contact angles from 71.27° to 125.45° as compared with the gelatin membrane, indicating an asymmetric wettability. The composite membrane exhibited outstanding waterproof capability with a hydrostatic pressure of 58.21 kPa, excellent breathability with a water vapor transmission rate of 8.80 kg m^-2 d^-1, improved stretchability and tear resistance, and dramatic improvement in mesenchymal stem cell recruitment with the immobilization of stromal-cell-derived factor-1α for accelerating skin regeneration. The development of asymmetric wettable nanofibrous membranes offers insight into wound-dressing design.

The kinetics and release behaviour of curcumin loaded pH-responsive PLGA/chitosan fibers with antitumor activity against HT-29 cells

The bioavailability and clinical effect of curcumin (Cur) are greatly restricted due to its physicochemical instability and high hydrophobicity. To overcome the disadvantages, the nanofibers of poly(lactide-glycolide)/chitosan loaded with Cur (PLGA/CS/Cur) was developed here by electrospinning technique for controlled Cur delivery. The incorporated Cur was well-dispersed and maintained crystalline form in PLGA/CS fiber matrix by hydrogen bonding. The incorporation of Cur had no obvious influence on the fiber size and morphology but exerted impacts on thermal stability. At pH 7.4, the release followed Fickian diffusion mechanism; while at pH 2.0, the release followed the coexistence of diffusion and erosion mechanisms. In addition, the amount of Cur released at pH 2.0 was much higher than that at pH 7.4. As a result, the nanofibers demonstrated higher anticancer activity at acidic environment. Therefore, the PLGA/CS/Cur nanofibers may be served as a potential pH responsive vehicle for the controlled drug delivery.

Shortening of electrospun PLLA fibers by ultrasonication

This research work is aimed at studying the effect of ultrasounds on the effectiveness of fiber fragmentation by taking into account the type of sonication medium, processing time, and various PLLA molecular weights. Fragmentation was followed by an appropriate filtration in order to decrease fibers length distribution. It was evidenced by fiber length determination using SEM that the fibers are shortened after ultrasonic treatment, and the effectiveness of shortening depends on the two out of three investigated parameters, mostly on the sonication medium, and processing time. The gel permeation chromatography (GPC) confirmed that such ultrasonic treatment does not change the polymers' molecular weight. Our results allowed to optimize the ultrasonic fragmentation procedure of electrospun fibers while preliminary viscosity measurements of fibers loaded into hydrogel confirmed their potential in further use as fillers for injectable hydrogels for regenerative medicine applications.

Preparation of aligned nanofibers using parallel inductive-plates assisted electrospinning

Electrospinning is a simple, cost-effective, and versatile technique for fabrication of nanofibers. However, nanofibers obtained from the conventional electrospinning are typically disordered, which seriously limits their application. In this work, we present a novel and facile technique to obtain aligned nanofibers with high efficiency by using parallel inductive-plates assisted electrospinning (PIES). In this new electrospinning setup, the electrostatic spinneret is contained in a pair of parallel inductive-plates, which can change the shape and direction of the electric field line during the electrospinning so as to control the flight trajectory and spatial alignment of the spinning nanofibers. This electrospinning setup can divide the electric field line into two parts which are respectively directed to the edge of the upper and lower inductive-plates. Then the nanofibers move along the electric field line, suspend and align between the parallel inductive-plates. Finally, the well aligned nanofibers could be easily transferred onto other substrates for further characterizations and applications. The aligned nanofibers with an average diameter of 469 ± 115 nm and a length as long as 140 mm were successfully achieved by using PIES technique. Moreover, nanofiber arrays with different cross angles and three-dimensional films formed by the aligned nanofibers were also facilely obtained. The novel PIES developed in this work has been proved to be a facile, cost-effective and promising approach to prepare aligned nanofibers for a wide range of applications.

Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers from Biomass and Biomass Blends-Current Trends

In recent years, ecological issues have led to the search for new green materials from biomass as precursors for producing carbon materials (CNFs). Such green materials are more attractive than traditional petroleum-based materials, which are environmentally harmful and non-biodegradable. Biomass could be ideal precursors for nanofibers since they stem from renewable sources and are low-cost. Recently, many authors have focused intensively on nanofibers' production from biomass using microwave-assisted pyrolysis, hydrothermal treatment, ultrasonication method, but only a few on electrospinning methods. Moreover, still few studies deal with the production of electrospun carbon nanofibers from biomass. This review focuses on the new developments and trends of electrospun carbon nanofibers from biomass and aims to fill this research gap. The review is focusing on recollecting the most recent investigations about the preparation of carbon nanofiber from biomass and biopolymers as precursors using electrospinning as the manufacturing method, and the most important applications, such as energy storage that include fuel cells, electrochemical batteries and supercapacitors, as well as wastewater treatment, CO2 capture, and medicine.

An organic-inorganic hybrid scaffold with honeycomb-like structures enabled by one-step self-assembly-driven electrospinning

Electrospun organic/inorganic hybrid scaffolds have been appealing in tissue regeneration owing to the integrated physicochemical and biological performances. However, the conventional electrospun scaffolds with non-woven structures usually failed to enable deep cell infiltration due to the densely stacked layers among the fibers. Herein, through self-assembly-driven electrospinning, a polyhydroxybutyrate/poly(ε-caprolactone)/58S sol-gel bioactive glass (PHB/PCL/58S) hybrid scaffold with honeycomb-like structures was prepared by manipulating the solution composition and concentration during a one-step electrospinning process. The mechanisms enabling the formation of self-assembled honeycomb-like structures were investigated through comparative studies using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) between PHB/PCL/58S and PHB/PCL/sol-gel silica systems. The obtained honeycomb-like structure was built up from nanofibers with an average diameter of 370 nm and showed a bimodal distribution of pores: large polygonal pores up to hundreds of micrometers within the honeycomb-cells and irregular pores among the nanofibers ranging around few micrometers. The cell-materials interactions were further studied by culturing MG-63 osteoblast-like cells for 7 days. Cell viability, cell morphology and cell infiltration were comparatively investigated as well. While cells merely proliferated on the surface of non-woven structures, MG-63 cells showed extensive proliferation and deep infiltration up to 100-200 μm into the honeycomb-like structure. Moreover, the cellular spatial organization was readily regulated by the honeycomb-like pattern as well. Overall, the newly obtained hybrid scaffold may integrate the enhanced osteogenicity originating from the bioactive components, and the improved cell-material interactions brought by the honeycomb-like structure, making the new scaffold a promising candidate for tissue regeneration.

Electrospun nanofibers promote wound healing: theories, techniques, and perspectives

At present, the clinical strategies for treating chronic wounds are limited, especially when it comes to pain relief and rapid wound healing. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop alternative treatment methods. This paper provides a systematic review on recent researches on how electrospun nanofiber scaffolds promote wound healing and how the electrospinning technology has been used for fabricating multi-dimensional, multi-pore and multi-functional nanofiber scaffolds that have greatly promoted the development of wound healing dressings. First, we provide a review on the four stages of wound healing, which is followed by a discussion on the evolvement of the electrospinning technology, what is involved in electrospinning devices, and factors affecting the electrospinning process. Finally, we present the possible mechanisms of electrospun nanofibers to promote wound healing, the classification of electrospun polymers, cell infiltration favoring fiber scaffolds, antibacterial fiber scaffolds, and future multi-functional scaffolds. Although nanofiber scaffolds have made great progress as a type of multi-functional biomaterial, major challenges still remain for commercializing them in a way that fully meets the needs of patients.

Cell membrane-biomimetic coating via click-mediated liposome fusion for mitigating the foreign-body reaction

The foreign-body reaction (FBR) caused by the implantation of synthetic polymer scaffolds seriously affects tissue-biomaterial integration and tissue repair. To address this issue, we developed a cell membrane-biomimetic coating formed by "click"-mediated liposome immobilization and fusion on the surface of electrospun fibers to mitigate the FBR. Utilization of electrospun polystyrene microfibrous scaffold as a model matrix, we deposited azide-incorporated silk fibroin on the surface of the fibers by the layer-by-layer assembly, finally, covalently modified with clickable liposomes via copper-free SPAAC click reaction. Compared with physical adsorption, liposomes click covalently binding can quickly fuse to form lipid film and maintain fluidity, which also improved liposome stability in vitro and in vivo. Molecular dynamics simulation proved that "click" improves the binding rate and strength of liposome to silk substrate. Importantly, histological observation and in vivo fluorescent probes imaging showed that liposome-functionalized electrospun fibers had negligible characteristics of the FBR and were accompanied by many infiltrated host cells and new blood vessels. We believe that the promotion of macrophage polarization toward a pro-regenerative phenotype plays an important role in vascularization. This bioinspired strategy paves the way for utilizing cell membrane biomimetic coating to resist the FBR and promote tissue-scaffold integration.

The Dynamic Inflammatory Tissue Microenvironment: Signality and Disease Therapy by Biomaterials

Tissue regeneration is an active multiplex process involving the dynamic inflammatory microenvironment. Under a normal physiological framework, inflammation is necessary for the systematic immunity including tissue repair and regeneration as well as returning to homeostasis. Inflammatory cellular response and metabolic mechanisms play key roles in the well-orchestrated tissue regeneration. If this response is dysregulated, it becomes chronic, which in turn causes progressive fibrosis, improper repair, and autoimmune disorders, ultimately leading to organ failure and death. Therefore, understanding of the complex inflammatory multiple player responses and their cellular metabolisms facilitates the latest insights and brings novel therapeutic methods for early diseases and modern health challenges. This review discusses the recent advances in molecular interactions of immune cells, controlled shift of pro- to anti-inflammation, reparative inflammatory metabolisms in tissue regeneration, controlling of an unfavorable microenvironment, dysregulated inflammatory diseases, and emerging therapeutic strategies including the use of biomaterials, which expand therapeutic views and briefly denote important gaps that are still prevailing.

Customizing the Protoscolicidal Activity by a Drug Delivery System: Application of Guar Gum in Electrospun Nanofibers

Background

The present study aimed to control mebendazole drug release from ethyl cellulose nanofibers containing guar gum produced by Electrospinning Method (ESM) on mortality of hydatid cyst protoscoleces under laboratory conditions.

Methods

The study was conducted in Arak Islamic Azad University, 2019. After preparation of ethyl cellulose nanofibers containing guar gum with concentrations 10, 250, 50 and 500 ppm with ESM, the uniformity and fineness of nanofibers were investigated by electron microscope. By determining the absorption of nanofibers during 312 h via spectrophotometry method, the amount of drug release was obtained. Then, the mortality of live protoscoleces in-vitro with nanofibers made with different concentrations was studied during 13 days.

Results

Guar gum nanofiber with four concentrations of 10, 50, 250 and 500 ppm had 0.78512, 0.83729, 1.0098 and 1.0633 absorption respectively and showed drug release 42.09%, 39.95%, 33.05% and 30.96% after 312 hours. Therefore, the survival of protoscoleces in the presence of guar gum with four concentrations was zero after 3, 6, 11 and 13 days (P<0.05).

Conclusion

To produce nanofibers carrying the drug for research related to the treatment of hydatid cysts, the electrospinning technique can be considered as a reliable method.

Application of nanomaterials in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which mainly causes inflammation of the synovial joints and destruction of cartilage and bone tissue. At present, a variety of clinical drugs have been applied in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. With the development of nanotechnology, more and more nano-drugs have been applied in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis due to the unique physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials. Treatment of RA with nanomaterials can improve bioavailability and selectively target damaged joint tissue. In this review, we summarized the progress of the application of nanomaterials in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and also proposed challenges faced by nanomaterials in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Marine sponge-derived/inspired drugs and their applications in drug delivery systems

Oceans harbor a vast biodiversity that is not represented in terrestrial habitats. Marine sponges have been the richest source of marine natural products reported to date, and sponge-derived natural products have served as inspiration for the development of several drugs in clinical use. However, many promising sponge-derived drug candidates have been stalled in clinical trials due to lack of efficacy, off-target toxicity, metabolic instability or poor pharmacokinetics. One possible solution to this high clinical failure rate is to design drug delivery systems that deliver drugs in a controlled and specific manner. This review critically analyzes drugs/drug candidates inspired by sponge natural products and the potential use of drug delivery systems as a new strategy to enhance the success rate for translation into clinical use.

Multidrug-loaded electrospun micro/nanofibrous membranes: Fabrication strategies, release behaviors and applications in regenerative medicine

Electrospun micro/nanofibrous membranes (EFMs) have been widely investigated as local drug delivery systems. Multiple drugs can be simultaneously incorporated into one EFM to create synergistic effects, reduce side effects, and play their respective roles in the complex physiological processes of tissue regeneration and postoperative adhesion prevention. Due to the versatile electrospinning techniques, sustained and programmed release behaviors of multiple drugs could be achieved by modulating the structure of the EFMs and the location of the drugs. In this review, various multidrug incorporation approaches based on electrospinning are overviewed. In particular, the advantages and limitations of each drug incorporation technique, the methods to control drug release and the effect of one drug release on another are discussed. Then the applications of multidrug-loaded EFMs in regenerative medicine, including wound healing, bone regeneration, vascular tissue engineering, nerve regeneration, periodontal regeneration and adhesion prevention are comprehensively reviewed. Finally, the future perspectives and challenges in the research of multidrug-loaded EFMs are discussed.

Electrospun Asymmetric Membranes as Promising Wound Dressings: A Review

Despite all the efforts that have been done up to now, the currently available wound dressings are still unable to fully re-establish all the structural and functional properties of the native skin. To overcome this situation, researchers from the tissue engineering area have been developing new wound dressings (hydrogels, films, sponges, membranes) aiming to mimic all the features of native skin. Among them, asymmetric membranes emerged as a promising solution since they reproduce both epidermal and dermal skin layers. Wet or dry/wet phase inversion, scCO2-assisted phase inversion, and electrospinning have been the most used techniques to produce such a type of membranes. Among them, the electrospinning technique, due to its versatility, allows the development of multifunctional dressings, using natural and/or synthetic polymers, which resemble the extracellular matrix of native skin as well as address the specific requirements of each skin layer. Moreover, various therapeutic or antimicrobial agents have been loaded within nanofibers to further improve the wound healing performance of these membranes. This review article provides an overview of the application of asymmetric electrospun membranes as wound dressings displaying antibacterial activity and as delivery systems of biomolecules that act as wound healing enhancers.

Next-generation surgical meshes for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications: materials, design and emerging manufacturing technologies

Abstract

Surgical meshes have been employed in the management of a variety of pathological conditions including hernia, pelvic floor dysfunctions, periodontal guided bone regeneration, wound healing and more recently for breast plastic surgery after mastectomy. These common pathologies affect a wide portion of the worldwide population; therefore, an effective and enhanced treatment is crucial to ameliorate patients’ living conditions both from medical and aesthetic points of view. At present, non-absorbable synthetic polymers are the most widely used class of biomaterials for the manufacturing of mesh implants for hernia, pelvic floor dysfunctions and guided bone regeneration, with polypropylene and poly tetrafluoroethylene being the most common. Biological prostheses, such as surgical grafts, have been employed mainly for breast plastic surgery and wound healing applications. Despite the advantages of mesh implants to the treatment of these conditions, there are still many drawbacks, mainly related to the arising of a huge number of post-operative complications, among which infections are the most common. Developing a mesh that could appropriately integrate with the native tissue, promote its healing and constructive remodelling, is the key aim of ongoing research in the area of surgical mesh implants. To this end, the adoption of new biomaterials including absorbable and natural polymers, the use of drugs and advanced manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing and electrospinning, are under investigation to address the previously mentioned challenges and improve the outcomes of future clinical practice. The aim of this work is to review the key advantages and disadvantages related to the use of surgical meshes, the main issues characterizing each clinical procedure and the future directions in terms of both novel manufacturing technologies and latest regulatory considerations.

Graphic abstract

Electrospinning nanofiber technology: a multifaceted paradigm in biomedical applications

This review focuses on the process of preparation of nanofibers via Es, the design and setup of the instrument, critical parameter optimization, preferable polymers, solvents, characterization techniques, and recent development and biomedical applications of nanofibers.

The effects of alignment and diameter of electrospun fibers on the cellular behaviors and osteogenesis of BMSCs

Electrospun fiber scaffolds, due to their mimicry of bone extracellular matrix (ECM), have become an important biomaterial widely applied in bone tissue engineering in recent years. While topographic cues of electrospun membranes such as alignment and diameter played vital roles in determining cellular behaviors. Yet few researches about the effects of these two significant parameters on osteogenesis have been reported. Thus, the present work explored the influence of aligned and random poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) fiber matrices with diameters of nanoscale (0.6 μm) and microscale (1.2 μm), respectively, on cellular responses of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), such as cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and osteogenesis. Our results revealed that aligned nanofibers (AN) could affect cell morphology and promote the migration of BMSCs after 24 h of cell culturing. Besides, AN group was observed to possess excellent biocompatibility and have significantly improved cell growth comparing with random nanofibers. More importantly, in vitro osteogenesis researches including ALP and Alizarin Red S staining, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that BMSCs culturing on AN group exhibited higher osteogenic induction proficiency than that on aligned microfibers (AM) and random fiber substrates (RN and RM). Accordingly, aligned nanofiber scaffolds have greater application potential in bone tissue engineering.

Delivery of a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant from biocompatible, polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds

Cardiovascular disease has been associated with increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Recently, we have shown that a critical balance between cytosolic ROS and mitochondrial ROS is crucial in cardiovascular health and that modulation of mitochondrial ROS helps prevent detrimental effects of cytosolic ROS on endothelial cells (EC) in transgenic animals. Here, we report the development of a controlled delivery system for a mitochondria‐targeted antioxidant, JP4‐039, from an electrospun scaffold made of FDA‐approved biocompatible polymeric nanofibers. We demonstrate that the active antioxidant moiety was preserved in released JP4‐039 for over 72 h using electron paramagnetic resonance. We also show that both the initial burst release of the drug within the first 20 min and the ensuing slow and sustained release that occurred over the next 24 h improved tube formation in human coronary artery ECs (HCAEC) in vitro. Taken together, these findings suggest that electrospinning methods can be used to upload mitochondrial antioxidant (JP4‐039) onto a biocompatible nanofibrous PLGA scaffold, and the uploaded drug (JP4‐039) retains nitroxide antioxidant properties upon release from the scaffold, which in turn can reduce mitochondrial ROS and improve EC function in vitro.