Electrodeposited Functional Coatings for On-Demand Electro-Responsive Drug Release and Cell Shape Transformation

Chronic wounds affect millions of people worldwide and their treatment can often be ineffective, resulting in substantial healthcare costs. Due to their prolonged healing time and susceptibility to infections, their treatment can be complex. Although there are various treatments available (scaffolds, dressings, etc.), there are limited studies outlining the use of external stimuli, particularly electrical stimulation, to facilitate wound healing. It is well established that electric fields influence the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of cells along with re-epithelialization and vascularization of wounds. Thus, exogenous electrostimulation may be a promising strategy to replicate or enhance these effects and improve wound healing outcomes. In this study, the fabrication of conductive polypyrrole films with encapsulated antimicrobial agent, nisin, for electro-responsive drug delivery is presented. The films were fabricated via electrodeposition and in vitro experiments demonstrated good biocompatibility with fibroblast and keratinocyte cells. Additionally, the release of the entrapped drug was observed using a minimal applied potential and the films showed significantly low bacterial cell adhesion and increased adhesion of HeLa cells including electrically triggered shape transformations. The findings in this proof-of-concept study highlight the potential of electro-responsive films to enhance the efficacy of wound healing and drug delivery combinatory therapies using external stimuli.