Elina Kelle

visiting researcher from Riga Technical University, RTU, Latvia

Supervisors at FAU: M.S. Meng Li and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Supervisors at RTU: PhD. Karina Egle and Dr. sc. ing. Arita Dubnika

Electrospinning of silk fibroin based fiber mats for wound healing applications

Skin, the body’s largest organ, is essential for maintaining homeostasis and providing a protective barrier, but injuries – especially chronic wounds – can lead to delayed healing, functional impairment and a reduced quality of life [1]. To accelerate wound healing, materials that mimic the physical, mechanical and biological properties of native tissue are required.

To ensure biocompatibility and bioactivity, natural biopolymers such as silk fibroin can be used as matrix materials. Silk fibroin exhibits good mechanical properties, enhances cell migration and proliferation, as well as enables gas permeability [2]. Other biopolymers, such as chitosan, exhibit antibacterial, anti‑inflammatory, hemostatic, and skin-regenerative properties, along with good water absorption [3]. By combining two biopolymers, it is possible to develop materials that exhibit the beneficial properties of both.

For fabrication of extracellular matrix-mimicking materials, electrospinning is a well-suited technique. It allows the creation of scaffolds with high porosity and a large surface area that can provide an ideal microenvironment for cell adhesion and tissue regeneration [2]. Therefore, this work aims to develop a method for electrospinning silk fibroin-biopolymer systems into nanofibrous mats for wound healing applications. This work is carried out within the framework of the BBCE – Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 857287).

 

1.      A. Al Mamun, C. Shao, P. Geng, et al. Recent advances in molecular mechanisms of skin wound healing and its treatments. Front. Immunol., 2024, 15, 1395479.

2.      F. V. dos Santos, R. L. Siqueira, L. de Morais Ramos, et al. Silk fibroin-derived electrospun materials for biomedical applications: A review. Int. J. Biol. Macromol., 2024, 254, 127641.

3.      P. Feng, Y. Luo, C. Ke, et al. Chitosan-Based Functional Materials for Skin Wound Repair: Mechanisms and Applications. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol., 2021, 9, 650598.