Bioinspired nanofibers: advancing drug delivery for enhanced therapeutic applications

Abstract

Nanomedicine is advancing with bioinspired nanofiber-based drug delivery systems (DDSs). This field explores the use of collagen and spider silk-like nanofibers to transport therapeutic agents to anatomical locations in the system. Nanofibers have a larger surface-area-to-volume ratio, mechanical strength, and ECM-mimicking properties. They are made with organic and artificial polymers, but natural polymers are better for biocompatibility and ECM resemblance. Synthetic polymers are versatile and can be customized to meet specific needs. Various techniques such as electrospinning, self-assembly, and templating are used to make bioinspired nanofibers. Electrospinning creates versatile and robust nanofibers that can be functionalized to boost therapeutic benefits. Control/extended DDSs using nanofibers are attainable by adjusting their physical and chemical properties (e.g., diameter, surface chemistry, and porosity). The nanofiber DDSs inspired by biology have shown promising use in wound healing, cancer therapy, and regenerative medicine. Creating these systems requires achieving biocompatibility, reducing toxicity, maintaining stability, long drug release, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.