Nitric Oxide-Releasing, Hyaluronic Acid-Coated Electrospun Fibers as Dual-Action Wound Dressings

Traditional wound dressings are applied to cover and protect a wound from further injury and infection to provide time for healing. Thus, a wound dressing with bioactivity that has pro-wound healing and antibacterial action represents a promising alternative for traditional wound dressings. In this study, a blend of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was electrospun into fiber mats, coated with hyaluronic acid (HA), and functionalized with N-diazeniumdiolate nitric oxide (NO) donors to develop a dressing capable of clearing bacterial infection and promoting wound healing in vivo. These electrospun fibers were highly porous with uniform diameters and capable of releasing large quantities of NO (∼0.6 μmol mg–1) for up to 12 h. The mats displayed swelling capacities of over 300% and resisted degradation up to 10 d, making them useful for long-term wound healing. The NO-releasing electrospun fibers demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro and improved bacterial clearance, reduced inflammation, and promoted wound healing in an in vivo punch-biopsy wound model. Together, these data demonstrate that electrospun fibers represent a promising option for use as bioactive wound dressings.