Search

Metal particles incorporated into polymer matrices in various forms and geometries are attractive material platforms for promoting wound healing and preventing infections. However, the fate of these metal particles and their degraded products in the tissue environment are still unknown, as both can produce cytotoxic effects and promote unwanted wound reactions. In this study, we develop biodegradable fibrous biomaterials embedded with metal particles that have an immune activation functions. Initially, biodegradable zinc (Zn) nanoparticles were modified with zein (G), a protein derived from corn. The zein-coated zinc particles (Z–G) were then embedded in polycaprolactone (P) fibers at different weight ratios to create fibrous biomaterials via electrospinning, which were subsequently analyzed for potential wound healing applications. We performed multimodal evaluations of the fibrous scaffolds, examining physicochemical properties such as fiber morphology, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, degradation, and release of zinc ions (Zn2+), as well as biological properties, including in vitro cell culture studies. We provide evidence that the integration of 2.4 wt % of Z–G particles in polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous scaffolds improved its physicochemical and biological functions. The in vitro cellular response of the scaffolds was evaluated using a series of cytotoxicity assays and immunocytochemistry analyses with three different cell types: mouse-derived fibroblast cell lines (NIH/3T3), human dermal fibroblasts (HDFn), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The composite fibrous scaffold exhibited robust activation and proliferation of NIH/3T3 and HDFn cells, along with a significant angiogenic potential in HUVECs. Immunocytochemistry confirmed elevated expression of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), suggesting that NIH/3T3 and Haden cells were highly differentiated into myofibroblasts. Additionally, the increased expression of CD31 and VE-cadherin in HUVECs suggests that the scaffold supports tube formation, thereby enhancing neovascularization and promoting an effective immune response. Overall, our findings demonstrate the regenerative potential of the self-enhanced Zn hemostatic bioscaffolds, which deliver both Zn2+ions and zein proteins to nourish cells. This capability not only modulates cellular activities but also contributes to tissue repair and remodeling, making the scaffolds suitable for wound repair and various bioengineering applications.

Titanium-based substrates are widely used in orthopedic treatments and hard tissue engineering. However, many of these titanium (Ti) substrates fail to interact properly between the cell-to-implant interface, which can lead to loosening and dislocation from the implant site. As a result, scaffold implant-associated complications and the need for multiple surgeries lead to an increased clinical burden. To address these challenges, we engineered osteoconductive and osteoinductive biosubstrates of chitosan (CS)-cross-linked polyaniline (PANI) nanonets coated on titanium nanotubes (TiO2NTs) in an attempt to mimic bone tissue’s major extracellular matrix. Inspired by the architectural and tunable mechanical properties of such tissue, the TiO2NTs-PANI@CS-based biofilm conferred strong anticorrosion, the ability to nucleate hydroxyapatite nanoparticles, and excellent biocompatibility with human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). An in vitro study showed that the substrate-supported cell activities induced greater cell proliferation and differentiation compared to cell-TiO2NTs alone. Notably, the bone-related genes (collagen-I, OPN, OCN, and RUNX 2) were highly expressed within TiO2NTs-PANI@CS over a period of 14 days, indicating greater bone cell differentiation. These findings demonstrate that the in vitro functionality of the cells on the osteoinductive-like platform of TiO2NTs-PANI@CS improves the efficiency for osteoblastic cell regeneration and that the substrate potentially has utility in bone tissue engineering applications.