Electrospining Machine: Electrospun drug-carrying nanofibres in cancer therapy

Background

As the standard of living improves, people expect better health and rehabilitation after injury or illness, which makes biomedical engineering more complex and precise. Biomedical materials are of great interest as diagnostic, therapeutic or alternative sources for living organisms. Materials used for biomedical purposes need to fulfil several stringent requirements: they must be biocompatible, avoiding any adverse reactions in the body; the materials must be biologically active, capable of acting on living cells, tissues or organisms; and the materials should have sufficient physical and mechanical properties to facilitate processing. Thus, direct contact and interaction with biological systems make the selection of biomedical materials a great challenge.

The main point of this paper

Application of electrospun nanofibres in drug release:

Electrospun nanofibres are capable of reducing the rate of drug release, prolonging the release time, reducing drug dispersion and mitigating possible adverse effects of drug delivery

Synergistic effect of electrospun nanofibres:

Electrospun drug-loaded nanofibres can accommodate multiple drugs at the same time, facilitating synergistic effects between them to rejuvenate initially drug-resistant compounds and generate new therapeutic effects

Structure of electrospun nanofibres and biomaterials:

Electrospun nanofibres have been widely used in biomedical applications due to their remarkable porosity, high specific surface area, excellent loading capacity, ease of modification, and low cost

Electrospun nanofibres in cancer chemotherapy:

Electrospun nanofibres provide sustained and controlled release in cancer chemotherapy, enabling local treatment of different tumour types

Core-sheath structure of electrospun nanofibres:

The core-sheath structure of electrospun nanofibres has the advantage of dual drug-carrying, where the core and sheath layers can carry different drugs, which facilitates synergistic treatment against chemotherapy resistance

Multifunctionality of electrospun nanofibres:

Electrospun fibres can not only transport drugs, but also integrate metal particles and targeting compounds, enabling chemotherapy to be combined with magnetotherapy and thermotherapy for comprehensive cancer treatment

Challenges and limitations of electrospinning technology:

Although electrospinning technology shows great potential in the biomedical field, it still faces technical challenges and limitations, and more research efforts are needed to elucidate its full potential

Electrospun nanofibres in cancer chemotherapy: from drug carriers to integrated treatment strategies

Challenges of chemotherapy and electrospinning technology:

Chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for prevalent diseases in the 21st century, but faces the challenge of drug resistance.

Electrospinning technology provides a sustained and controlled drug release method for the local treatment of tumours.

Advantages of the core-sheath structure of electrospun filaments:

The core-sheath structure of electrospun filaments enables dual drug loading, carrying different drugs, which helps in synergistic treatment and combating drug resistance.

Reduced patient discomfort:

Electrospinning technology reduces patient discomfort associated with taking multiple drugs.

Multifunctional integration:

Electrospun fibres not only deliver drugs, but also integrate metal particles and targeting compounds, combining chemotherapy, magnetotherapy and thermotherapy.

Integrated Cancer Therapy:

Electrospinning technology enables an integrated approach to cancer treatment and improves therapeutic outcomes.

Application of electrospinning technology in cancer therapy:

This review explores electrospinning technology for the preparation of electrospun filaments and drug delivery methods for various cancers.

Prospects of electrospinning technology:

The promising future of electrospinning technology in cancer therapy is envisioned, emphasising its potential for mitigating drug-related toxicity and improving drug delivery efficiency.

Summarize

Electrospinning is a versatile method of creating nanoscale fibres through electrostatic forces. This technique allows precise control of the needle structure, thus facilitating the creation of specialised structures such as core-sheath, Janus, parallel and eccentric structures. In addition, porous, hollow and beaded structures can be fabricated by adjusting the polymer composition, flow rate and voltage settings. These unique structures greatly influence the drug release kinetics and play different roles at different stages of cancer therapy. However, challenges remain in scaling up electrospinning for large-scale production, which is a focus of current R&D efforts.

With the development of electrospinning technology, the range of raw materials available for the preparation of nanofibres is gradually expanding. Organic compounds with good biocompatibility, various drug molecules, and even gene fragments can be used for electrospinning and can be combined according to specific application requirements. Electrospun nanofibres, which are mainly composed of biodegradable polymers, are multifunctional in the treatment of cancer without the need for removal, and have been extensively studied for various applications.