Bioactive glass fiber mat delivering Zn ions for full-thickness wound regeneration

Full-thickness wounds are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Here, biodegradable bioactive glass (BG) fiber mats with glass composition 70SiO 2 -(30-x)CaO-xZnO (mol%), where x = 1, 3 or 5 mol%, were synthesized for wound healing applications, facilitating therapeutic zinc ion release along with silica species and calcium ions . Cell attachement (fibroblasts and endothelial cells) and controlled ion release from the fibres is expected to promote angiogenesis . BG fibers (0.19–0.32 μm diameter) were synthesized through sol-gel electrospinning into a 3D extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking mat, which favors the attachment and migration of cells compared to BG microparticles . Human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell culture demonstrated no cytotoxicity when exposed to Zn-containing BG fibers (Zn-BG). Dissolution products of Zn-BG fibers containing 5 mol% ZnO promoted angiogenic factors (VEGF and bFGF) expression compared to Zn-free BG fibers. Zn-BG-HDF media (supernatant from the co-culture of Zn-BG dissolution products and HDFs 1:1 mixed with fresh endothelial cell medium) promoted the metabolic activity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) compared to 70S30C-HDF media. All BG-HDF media increased cell migration compared to untreated DMEM-HDF media, with the highest migration observed in response to BG with 5 mol% ZnO. When immersed in DMEM for 24 h, Zn-BG released 0.5–6 μg mL −1 of Zn, which is a concentration range with potential to elicit other beneficial effects in wound healing, such as antibacterial activity , positive inflammatory response, and follicle regeneration. Results suggest that Zn-BG fiber mats could help the regeneration of full-thickness wounds.