Wound care is one of the fastest growing markets for medical materials worldwide. Novel approaches in wound dressing design are therefore explored with a high frequency. Considering the present socio-economic situation, a lot of effort is put into development of methods with high benefits, but low costs. Model wound dressings are lately often referred to as one of the possible platforms for cheap, yet precise development of novel wound dressing materials. Their combination with drugs, followed by thorough characterization, enabled by their controlled synthesis, make them ideal for testing of novel advanced wound dressing approaches. Electrospinning has in the last decade evolved to one of the main techniques for preparation of nanofibers from versatile precursor solutions and for coating of fibers and other materials. Its main advantages are exceptionally large nanofiber active surface area per mass unit, possible fibers’ morphology control, a high benefit/cost ratio and relative easy transfer to the industrial scale. In this study, electrospun fibers were compared with thin films in relation to their application potential in design of novel advanced wound dressing materials. For this purpose, both systems, combined with synthetic drugs (pain reducing agents) or natural antioxidants, were characterized for their surface properties, biocompatibility, bioactivity, wettability and morphology. Final in vitro testing was performed on Franz diffusion cells, while their safety and efficacy was shown on skin-based cell cultures.

Model wound dressing materials – thin films vs. electrospun fibers

249th National Meeting (2015)

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