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New article: chitosan nanofibers for improved wound healing

NN researchers Liqiong Li, Asier R. Muguruza, and Pablo Guardia have published a new article in the Journal of Materials Chemistry B. This study is part of a collaboration involving the ICMAB-CSIC (NN Group), the University of Almería, IBB, and CIBER.

The paper focuses on improving chitosan, a natural biopolymer with biomedical potential that is normally limited by its low water solubility. The researchers synthesized two low‑molecular‑weight versions of chitosan and successfully incorporated them into electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers without the need for crosslinking agents. Advanced analytical techniques confirmed controlled encapsulation and release of the material.

Importantly, the study shows that one of the chitosan variants significantly enhances antimicrobial activity against several bacteria and fungi, while also promoting skin cell migration, a key process in wound healing. These results demonstrate how tuning the molecular weight of chitosan can lead to multifunctional wound dressings that combine antimicrobial protection with improved tissue regeneration.

Title

Electrospun PVA-chitosan nanofibers with antibacterial properties for wound healing: unveiling the potential of low molecular weight chitosan

DOI: 10.1039/D6TB00497K

Abstract

Chitosan (CS) is a high molecular weight biopolymer derived from the deacetylation of chitin, which is naturally present in the exoskeletons of crustaceans. However, its inherently low water solubility limits many biomedical applications. In contrast, low-MW CS (LMWCS) is water-soluble and exhibits promising biological properties. Herein, we report the synthesis of two LMWCS (CS1 and CS7) and their incorporation into electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers (NFs) at various loadings. Both LMWCS samples were successfully integrated into PVA NFs without crosslinkers, with tunable encapsulation and release confirmed by elemental analysis, UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy. Comparative evaluations revealed that CS7-containing fibers exhibited superior antimicrobial efficacy against S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans, and significantly promoted HaCaT-ras A5 keratinocyte migration in scratch assays. Together, this work establishes molecular weight-dependent design principles for engineering multifunctional electrospun wound dressings that integrate both antimicrobial activity and pro-regenerative capability.

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