Biodegradable Nanofiber Scaffolds as Dual-Action Platforms for Drug Delivery and Enhanced Tissue Healing

Abstract

Biodegradable nanofiber scaffolds are a newly emerging platform that provide the advantages of controlled drug delivery with improved tissue repair. They can replicate an extracellular matrix by introducing a porous, breathable and moist environment for the subsequent proper growth and migration of cells. The relatively large surface area provides an ideal medium for loading and sustained release of the bioactive agents (e.g., growth factors and antimicrobials), and can help promote hemostasis, reduce inflammation, stimulate angiogenesis and limit infection. Each of these processes contributes to the development of new tissues, however, in complex injuries (e.g. bone defects) this dual purpose can accelerate the rate of regeneration. Recently, researchers have reported that a temporally specific, sequential drug delivery by a biodegradable nanofiber scaffold could provide more effective healing opportunities compared to delivering one agent at a time. While we may still have challenges in getting or matching the drug loading with the temporal delivery, biodegradable nanofiber scaffolds will continue to be a promising and emerging platform for tissue regeneration and drug delivery. This mini-review discusses the different aspects related to biodegradable nanofiber scaffolds: designs and strategies for fabrication, methods of drug incorporation and drug release mechanisms, their biomedical applications, limitations and future pathways for enhancing therapeutic effects using biodegradable nanofiber scaffolds.