BIOXYARN · In vitro evaluation of the biocompatibility of nanofibrous yarns from an oxidative stress perspective

In vitro evaluation of the biocompatibility of nanofibrous yarns from an oxidative stress perspective

The aim of the BIOXYARN project was to investigate the biocompatibility of curcumin-loaded electrospun yarns in vitro from an oxidative stress point of view and to investigate their potential for wound repair applications. Fibres and textiles have been used as biomaterials for thousands of years, mainly as sutures and in dressings for wound care. Recently, it has become of increasing interest to use fibres as implantable materials to support the repair of damaged tissues and organs. In particular, the emergence of nanoscale electrospun fibres has allowed the fabrication of scaffolds that mimic the architecture of native biological tissues. Through their physical cues, these materials have the ability to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. However, further improvements of the material may be possible, such as to minimise the foreign body reaction and to accelerate the repair response. Targeting oxidative stress by incorporating antioxidant molecules is a particularly promising strategy. Oxidative stress is known to be one of the key pathophysiological elements in both the foreign body reaction and the tissue healing processes. Among candidates antioxidant molecules, curcumin has shown great potential in multiple studies, which have included clinical trials. Curcumin, found in turmeric (commonly used as a spice), exhibits strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Although several studies have studied electrospun fibres loaded with curcumin for anticancer and antimicrobial applications, wound healing applications have been little explored, in particular with regard to the concentrations that are relevant for incorporation. In BIOXYARN, we have explored a wide range of curcumin concentrations in electrospun filaments and have assessed the potential of the resulting materials for soft tissue repair applications. Our main results show that, at high concentrations (above 1% in weight to weight of polymer), curcumin induces pathological levels of oxidants in the culture medium. This inhibits the proliferation or even causes the apoptosis of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). On the other hand, low concentrations of curcumin (below 0.01%) stimulate both the metabolic activity and the proliferation of NHDFs. Moreover, while high concentration affect the physicochemical properties of the filaments, low concentrations have no influence meaning that their incorporation is straightforward. Overall, our findings suggest that materials loaded with concentrations a hundred and thousand times lower than currently used (usually above 1%) have better potential for tissue repair.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union