Electrospun Nanofibers for Antibiotic Release and Antibacterial Performance: A Nanomanufacturing Perspective

Electrospun composites are desirable materials for drug delivery applications. Regarding microbial infections as a case study, the antibacterial effect is enhanced by physical attributes of electrospun meshes, namely, a high surface area-to-volume ratio and porosity, 3D topography, and customized surface functions. Beyond mimicking nanostructured fibers, the delivery of antibiotics from such composites enhances antibacterial efficacy, sustained release kinetics, and reduced wound infection while minimizing side effects. Concern over antibiotic resistance and the insufficient availability of pharmaceutical agents for effective infection treatment is increasing worldwide. A significant number of publications have reported the fabrication of electrospun composites to mitigate bacterial pathogenesis. However, from a structural and morphological perspective, the implications of electrospinning approaches for antibiotic delivery have not been reviewed. This proposal presents a comparative study of the different assemblies induced by electrospinning, enabling the development of platforms for administering antibacterial agents. The primary objective is to conduct a comprehensive examination of the considerations involved in electrospinning-based manufacturing of drug delivery systems and antibiotic loading, ensuring a thorough design process that accounts for composite processability, monitoring methods for kinetic behavior analysis and modeling, and biological considerations for pre-clinical in vitro characterization.