Chronic liver disease (CLD) cases are rising globally, impacting people across all age groups. The broad spectrum of etiologies and the heterogeneous presentation of CLDs make it challenging to develop effective therapeutic interventions. Current treatments focus on eliminating the underlying cause (e.g. in infections), reducing inflammation or slowing or halting fibrosis progression. However, these treatments lack specificity and have limited ability to repair or regenerate the damaged tissue. Due to the liver's unique regenerative capability, it can repair tissue damage during early stages of CLD; however, this ability is severely compromised during late-stage CLD, necessitating novel treatments to promote tissue regeneration. Nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems offer a versatile platform that can address many of the challenges of current CLD treatments. Through cell-specific surface modifications and encapsulation of multiple therapeutics within a single system, NPs can be engineered to provide targeted, sequential delivery of therapeutics and growth-promoting agents to the damaged liver. They can also be used to track the treatment and tissue repair post-administration. This Special Report examines current treatment challenges in CLD, highlights NPs' potential to address these challenges and outlines future directions for their use in liver disease management and tissue regeneration.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Wound healing remains a demanding medical problem despite significant advances in regenerative medicine. Mesenchymal, hair follicle and pluripotent stem cells are candidate populations for therapeutically relevant applications. Hair follicle bulge stem cells with scaffolds and growth factors can promote the healing of wounds. METHODS:This study explores a dual-layer electrospun nanofibrous wound dressing composed of PCL/SSD and PCL/COLL, enhanced with chitosan nanoparticles loaded with EGF and bFGF growth factors. Hair follicle bulge stem cells were seeded onto the scaffold and transplanted into rat skin wounds. RESULTS:FE‑SEM confirmed that the chitosan microspheres were uniformly spherical, ranging from nanoscale to ~1 µm. Thermal analysis showed a 28% weight loss up to 250°C and major degradation between 230°C and 450°C, indicating good thermal stability. About 50% of the encapsulated EGF and bFGF (6.5 ng from 2 mg microspheres) was released within 24 h, followed by sustained release. Biological assays demonstrated strong cell attachment, enhanced collagen deposition, and rapid tissue remodeling, with complete skin regeneration achieved by day 14. CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that a two-layered electrospun nanofibrous mat incorporating chitosan nanoparticles, growth factors, and hair follicle bulge stem cells significantly enhances wound healing in a rat model.
