Electroactive electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering

Abstract

The ability of electrospun nanofibers to mimic the structure and composition of certain components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) has been widely used in the construction of tissue regeneration scaffolds. As the biophysical cues of the ECM, bioelectric communication mediated by endogenous electrical fields and currents also plays an important role in the repair and regeneration of defected tissues. To this end, it is compelling to develop electroactive electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering. Here, we briefly summarize the commonly developed electroactive electrospun nanofibers and their progress in tissue engineering, especially for heart repair, nerve injury treatment, wound healing, skeletal muscle and bone regeneration. We also discuss their potential applications as biosensors and drug delivery platforms. Afterwards, we specifically focus on the future direction of the design and functionalization of electroactive electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering. At last, we propose several promising strategies to make the scaffolds more intelligent, portable, monitorable, and safe.