Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofibers Blends as Drug Delivery System in Tissue Regeneration

Nanofibers have shown promising clinical results in the process of tissue regeneration since they provide a similar structure to the extracellular matrix of different tissues, high surface-to-volume ratio and porosity, flexibility, and gas permeation, offering topographical features that stimulate cell adhesion and proliferation. Electrospinning is one of the most used techniques for manufacturing nanomaterials due to its simplicity and low cost. In this review, we highlight the use of nanofibers produced with polyvinyl alcohol and polymeric associations (PVA/blends) as a matrix for release capable of modifying the pharmacokinetic profile of different active ingredients in the regeneration of connective, epithelial, muscular, and nervous tissues. Articles were selected by three independent reviewers by analyzing the databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar (last 10 years). Descriptors used were nanofibers, poly (vinyl alcohol), muscle tissue, connective tissue, epithelial tissue, and neural tissue engineering. The guiding question was: How do different compositions of polyvinyl alcohol polymeric nanofibers modify the pharmacokinetics of active ingredients in different tissue regeneration processes? The results demonstrated the versatility of the production of PVA nanofibers by solution blow technique with different actives (lipo/hydrophilic) and with pore sizes varying between 60 and 450 nm depending on the polymers used in the mixture, which influences the drug release that can be controlled for hours or days. The tissue regeneration showed better cellular organization and greater cell proliferation compared to the treatment with the control group, regardless of the tissue analyzed. We highlight that, among all blends, the combinations PVA/PCL and PVA/CS showed good compatibility and slow degradation, indicating their use in prolonged times of biodegradation, thus benefiting tissue regeneration in bone and cartilage connective tissues, acting as a physical barrier that results in guided regeneration, and preventing the invasion of cells from other tissues with increased proliferation rate.

Automated summary

Nanofibers have potential clinical applications in tissue regeneration due to their similar structure to the extracellular matrix, high surface-to-volume ratio, and flexibility. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers have shown versatility in drug release and tissue regeneration, with different compositions modifying the pharmacokinetics of active ingredients. PVA/PCL and PVA/CS blends were found to be compatible and had slow degradation, making them suitable for prolonged biodegradation and guiding regeneration in bone and cartilage tissues.