Stage‐Adaptable Silk‐Based Nanofiber Film for Postoperative Uterine In Situ Repair and Fertility Preservation

Uterine dysfunction arising from surgical procedures such as curettage and caesarean section often leads to adhesions, hyperplasia and fibrosis, undermining women's fertility and quality of life. Conventional pharmacological and physical therapies cannot fully restore uterine function. To overcome these limitations, we designed a composite, polysaccharide-coated silk nanofiber film as a staged scaffold to meet evolving healing demands. The hydrophilic polysaccharide layer provides early postoperative wet strength, conformability and physical isolation, while the underlying nanofibrous silk network mimics the extracellular matrix to support cell adhesion, proliferation and regeneration in later stages. In a rat model of severe uterine injury, implantation of this biodegradable film prevented postoperative adhesions and preserved reproductive capacity, achieving a fertility rate exceeding 80%. Mechanistically, the scaffold modulates the immune microenvironment by promoting M2 macrophage polarization, attenuating inflammation and accelerating tissue repair. It also upregulates angiogenic factors (VEGF-A, PDGF-BB), enhances type III collagen deposition and minimizes foreign-body reaction, collectively driving effective in situ uterine regeneration. Fabricated via aqueous electrospinning and mild coating, the scaffold is cost-effective, ecofriendly and readily scalable. As a biodegradable, staged platform tailored to dynamic uterine healing, this material offers a novel, versatile solution for clinical translation in uterine repair and broader regenerative-medicine applications.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Published
2026-02-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adhm.202502549
Primary Topic
Silk-based biomaterials and applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Stage‐Adaptable Silk‐Based Nanofiber Film for Postoperative Uterine In Situ Repair and Fertility Preservation

Qingxuan Chen, Gang Li, Changhong Linghu, Jichuan Zhang et al.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
Silk-based biomaterials and applications
article

Stage‐Adaptable Silk‐Based Nanofiber Film for Postoperative Uterine In Situ Repair and Fertility Preservation

Qingxuan Chen, Gang Li, Changhong Linghu, Jichuan Zhang, Shujun Zhang
article en

Abstract

Uterine dysfunction arising from surgical procedures such as curettage and caesarean section often leads to adhesions, hyperplasia and fibrosis, undermining women's fertility and quality of life. Conventional pharmacological and physical therapies cannot fully restore uterine function. To overcome these limitations, we designed a composite, polysaccharide-coated silk nanofiber film as a staged scaffold to meet evolving healing demands. The hydrophilic polysaccharide layer provides early postoperative wet strength, conformability and physical isolation, while the underlying nanofibrous silk network mimics the extracellular matrix to support cell adhesion, proliferation and regeneration in later stages. In a rat model of severe uterine injury, implantation of this biodegradable film prevented postoperative adhesions and preserved reproductive capacity, achieving a fertility rate exceeding 80%. Mechanistically, the scaffold modulates the immune microenvironment by promoting M2 macrophage polarization, attenuating inflammation and accelerating tissue repair. It also upregulates angiogenic factors (VEGF-A, PDGF-BB), enhances type III collagen deposition and minimizes foreign-body reaction, collectively driving effective in situ uterine regeneration. Fabricated via aqueous electrospinning and mild coating, the scaffold is cost-effective, ecofriendly and readily scalable. As a biodegradable, staged platform tailored to dynamic uterine healing, this material offers a novel, versatile solution for clinical translation in uterine repair and broader regenerative-medicine applications.

Advanced Healthcare Materials
City University of Hong Kong (HK), Nanyang Technological University (SG), Harbin Institute of Technology (CN), Soochow University (CN), Tsinghua–Berkeley Shenzhen Institute (CN), Tsinghua University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality
Gender equality
Openalex Percentile: Top 67%
Silk-based biomaterials and applications
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