Recent advances in fiber-hydrogel composites for wound healing and drug delivery systems

• Published in: Antibiotics (Basel) 2021-03, Vol.10 (3), p.248(1)-248(35)
• Main Authors: Teixeira, Marta O., Antunes, Joana Isabel Costa, Felgueiras, Helena Prado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Biodegradable polymers; Biodegradation; Biomedical materials; Composite materials; Controlled release; Drug delivery; Drug delivery platforms; Drug delivery systems; Engenharia e Tecnologia; Engenharia Médica; fiber– Fibers; Fiber–hydrogel composite; Forming techniques; hydrogel composite; Hydrogels; Mechanical properties; Microorganisms; Molecular weight; Optimization; Polylactic acid; Polymers; Polypeptides; Review; Saúde de qualidade; Scaffolding; Science & Technology; Skin regeneration; Tissue engineering; Wound healing
• ISSN: 2079-6382; 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10030248

In the last decades, much research has been done to fasten wound healing and target-direct drug delivery. Hydrogel-based scaffolds have been a recurrent solution in both cases, with some reaching already the market, even though their mechanical stability remains a challenge. To overcome this limitation, reinforcement of hydrogels with fibers has been explored. The structural resemblance of fiber–hydrogel composites to natural tissues has been a driving force for the optimization and exploration of these systems in biomedicine. Indeed, the combination of hydrogel-forming techniques and fiber spinning approaches has been crucial in the development of scaffolding systems with improved mechanical strength and medicinal properties. In this review, a comprehensive overview of the recently developed fiber–hydrogel composite strategies for wound healing and drug delivery is provided. The methodologies employed in fiber and hydrogel formation are also highlighted, together with the most compatible polymer combinations, as well as drug incorporation approaches creating stimuli-sensitive and triggered drug release towards an enhanced host response. Authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), FEDER funds by means of Portugal 2020 Competitive Factors Operational Program (POCI), and the Portuguese Government (OE) for funding the project PEPTEX with reference PTDC/CTM‐ TEX/28074/2017 (POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐028074). The authors also acknowledge project UID/CTM/00264/2021 of the Centre for Textile Science and Technology (2C2T), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES.