Bioactive Materials | Point-of-Care In Situ Electrospinning Nanofiber Dressing Accelerates Acute Trauma Healing

This study developed a portable point-of-care electrospun bioactive dressing (CTZP), which demonstrates rapid hemostasis, antibacterial activity, and angiogenic promotion. By optimizing the synergy between Zein/PVP matrix and Cu@TA nanoparticles, this innovation provides novel materials and theoretical support for acute trauma care.

 

Literature Overview
This article, titled 'Point-of-Care Treatment of Acute Skin Wound by Portable In Situ Electrospinning Nanofiber Dressings with Rapid Hemostasis, Anti-Infection, and Angiogenesis Effects', was published in the journal Bioactive Materials. It reviews and summarizes the application potential of portable electrospun dressings in acute trauma management, focusing on their hemostatic, antibacterial, and angiogenic mechanisms.

Background Knowledge
Acute trauma wounds, such as those following traffic accidents or natural disasters, often involve uncontrolled bleeding and infection risks. Conventional suture materials have limitations such as secondary damage, poor mechanical adaptability, and reliance on passive healing processes. Zein, a corn protein, has demonstrated biocompatibility, adhesion properties, and hemostatic potential, while PVP enhances the hydrophilicity and adhesive capacity of fiber structures. Cu@TA nanoparticles possess a pH-responsive antibacterial mechanism, enabling enhanced antibacterial activity under acidic conditions through Fenton-like reactions and copper ion release. VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) are key factors in angiogenesis, while TBXAS1 (thromboxane synthase) plays an important role in platelet activation. This study combines Zein/PVP with Cu@TA using portable electrospinning technology to develop a multifunctional nanofiber dressing that overcomes the limitations of traditional single-function dressings, achieving integrated management of rapid hemostasis, antibacterial action, and tissue regeneration. This technology holds broad application potential in emergency medicine, battlefield care, and clinical wound management.

 

 

Research Methods and Experiments
The research team optimized the Zein/PVP ratio to identify the ideal hemostatic fiber structure and integrated Cu@TA nanoparticles to develop the CTZP dressing. Cu@TA and CTZP were characterized using HAADF-STEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques. Hemostatic performance was evaluated through in vitro blood coagulation tests (coagulation index, red blood cell and platelet adhesion assays) and an in vivo tail amputation model. Antibacterial activity was assessed using Staphylococcus aureus cultures, while angiogenic effects were evaluated by qPCR, RNA-seq, and immunohistochemical analysis of VEGF and CD31 expression. In vivo and in vitro wound healing experiments further validated the integrated therapeutic efficacy of CTZP.

Key Conclusions and Perspectives

• CTZP dressing achieved rapid blood coagulation within 1 minute in vitro and demonstrated hemostatic efficiency exceeding 98.72% in the in vivo tail amputation model.
• Cu@TA nanoparticles promote copper ion release and •OH generation under acidic conditions, delivering potent antibacterial activity and significantly reducing bacterial colonization in infected wounds.
• Zein/PVP matrix enhances VEGF expression, while Cu@TA further upregulates eNOS and KDR, synergistically activating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway to promote angiogenesis.
• RNA-seq and qPCR analyses revealed that CTZP activates platelet-related pathways and VEGF signaling, with Western blot confirming increased expression of key proteins such as TBXAS1, p-AKT, and p-eNOS.
• In a S. aureus-infected rat wound model, CTZP significantly improved wound healing rates, reaching 97.3% by day 14, surpassing both control and ZP groups.
• The dressing exhibits pH-responsive copper ion release, with enhanced release under acidic conditions to match the physiological microenvironment of infected wounds, enabling intelligent delivery.

Research Significance and Prospects
This study provides a material and mechanistic foundation for portable point-of-care wound management. CTZP demonstrates synergistic effects in hemostasis, antibacterial activity, and regenerative promotion, laying the groundwork for clinical translation in acute trauma care. Future studies may explore its application in larger animal models and assess long-term biocompatibility and degradation properties, with potential expansion into chronic wound and burn management.

 

 

Conclusion
This study successfully developed a portable, multifunctional nanofiber dressing (CTZP) that, through the synergistic action of Zein/PVP matrix and Cu@TA nanoparticles, exhibits excellent performance in hemostasis, antibacterial action, and angiogenesis. CTZP achieves blood coagulation within one minute and significantly reduces bleeding volume, while releasing copper ions and •OH under acidic conditions to enhance antibacterial activity. RNA-seq and qPCR analyses revealed activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway and upregulation of TBXAS1, VEGF, and eNOS, promoting platelet activation and vascular regeneration. In vivo experiments further confirmed CTZP's high wound healing efficiency in infected environments. This dressing provides a novel, on-demand solution for acute trauma care with stage-adaptive regulation, demonstrating strong potential for clinical translation.

 

Yechuan Deng, Min Xing, Yuanming Cao, Jiajun Qiu, and Xuanyong Liu. Point-of-Care Treatment of Acute Skin Wound by Portable In Situ Electrospinning Nanofiber Dressings with Rapid Hemostasis, Anti-Infection, and Angiogenesis Effects. Bioactive Materials.