All-aqueous microfluidic printing of multifunctional bioactive microfibers promote whole-stage wound healing

Abstract

<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/wound-healing" title="Learn more about Wound healing from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">Wound healing</a> involves multi-stages of physiological responses, including <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/hemostasis" title="Learn more about hemostasis from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">hemostasis</a>, inflammation, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/cell-proliferation" title="Learn more about cell proliferation from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">cell proliferation</a>, and tissue remodeling. Satisfying all demands throughout different stages remains a rarely addressed challenge. Here we introduce an innovative all-aqueous microfluidic printing technique for fabricating multifunctional bioactive <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/microfiber" title="Learn more about microfibers from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microfibers</a>, effectively contributing to all four phases of the healing process. The distinctive feature of the developed <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/microfiber" title="Learn more about microfibers from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microfibers</a> lies in their capacity to be printed in a free-form manner in the aqueous-two phase system (ATPS). This is achieved through interfacial <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/coacervation" title="Learn more about coacervation from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">coacervation</a> between alkyl-chitosan and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/alginate" title="Learn more about alginate from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">alginate</a>, with enhanced structural integrity facilitated by simultaneous crosslinking with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/calcium-ion" title="Learn more about calcium ions from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">calcium ions</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/alginate" title="Learn more about alginate from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">alginate</a>. The all-aqueous printed <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/microfiber" title="Learn more about microfibers from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microfibers</a> exhibit exceptional performance in terms of cell recruitment, blood cell coagulation, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/hemostasis" title="Learn more about hemostasis from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">hemostasis</a>. The inclusion of a dodecyl carbon chain and amino groups in alkyl-chitosan imparts remarkable <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/antimicrobial-activity" title="Learn more about antimicrobial properties from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">antimicrobial properties</a> by anchoring to bacteria, complemented by potent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/antibacterial" title="Learn more about antibacterial effects from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">antibacterial effects</a> of encapsulated <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/silver-nanoparticle" title="Learn more about silver nanoparticles from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">silver nanoparticles</a>. Moreover, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/microfiber" title="Learn more about microfibers from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">microfibers</a> can load bioactive drugs like <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/epidermal-growth-factor" title="Learn more about epidermal growth factor from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">epidermal growth factor</a> (EGF), preserving their activity and enhancing therapeutic effects during <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/cell-proliferation" title="Learn more about cell proliferation from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">cell proliferation</a> and tissue remodeling. With these sequential functions to guide the whole-stage wound healing, this work offers a versatile and robust paradigm for comprehensive wound treatment, holding great potential for optimal healing outcomes.<br></p>