Electrospinner: MFGE8-loaded extracellular vesicle-derived silk fibroin nanoparticles accelerate skin ulcer healing by targeting vascular endothelial cells

Background

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are difficult-to-heal wounds caused by reduced oxygen and nutrient supply due to vascular damage. Rapid vascular repair is essential to address this challenge, but current clinical measures are limited.

Preparation and Effect of NGR-NPs@MFGE8

The research team detected the expression of CD13, a specific target protein of NGR, and MFGE8, an inhibitor of ferroptosis, in VECs and PU tissues. They synthesized nanoparticles from silk fibroin and loaded MFGE8 to prepare NPs@MFGE8. Using silk fibroin/collagen hydrogel as a carrier, after loading NGR-NPs@MFGE8, MFGE8 decreased and CD13 increased in PU tissues. NPs@MFGE8 can inhibit ferroptosis in VECs.

Preparation and Effect of Hydrogel Sustained Release Carrier

The hydrogel loaded with NGR-NPs@MFGE8 continuously released CD13-targeted NGR-NPs@MFGE8 in VECs, thereby inhibiting hypoxia-induced mitochondrial autophagy and ferroptosis, effectively accelerating wound healing in rats.

In vivo experimental results

Compared with hydrogels loaded with NPs or NPs@MFGE8 alone, hydrogels loaded with NGR-NPs@MFGE8 showed significant effects in promoting wound healing in rats. NGR-NPs@MFGE8 promoted PU wound healing by inhibiting mitochondrial autophagy-induced ferroptosis.

Connection with electrospinning

Biomedical applications: Fibers prepared by electrospinning technology can promote cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation due to their nanometer diameter, high porosity and good pore connectivity, which has special advantages for in vitro cell culture and simulation of extracellular matrix structure. Li Changqing's team used this feature to load MFGE8 with silk protein nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by electrospinning technology to target vascular endothelial cells VECs and PU tissues, thereby promoting wound healing.

Drug controlled release system: Coaxial electrospinning technology can prepare composite nanofibers with core/shell structure, which plays an important role in tissue engineering and drug controlled release. In the research of Li Changqing's team, silk fibroin NPs@MFGE8 can simulate VECs-derived EVs and carry MFGE8 protein into VECs, thereby inhibiting ferroptosis, which is similar to the principle of controlled drug release.

Conclusion and Prospect

This study provides a new method to prevent PU formation and promote wound healing by using silk fibroin/collagen hydrogel sustained-release carrier loaded with NGR-NPs@MFGE8 as wound dressing to target CD13 in PU tissue to inhibit ferroptosis of VECs.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-023-02185-7