# Biodegradable and Biocompatible Piezoelectric Nanofiber Mat for Wound Dressing

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS · 2020 · $177,100

## Abstract

Abstract
Chronic and non-healing wounds, caused by diseases and physical injuries, are a major medical problem
worldwide. Wound dressings are important components for wound treatment. They have been extensively
developed to simultaneously obtain various capabilities which facilitate (1) hemostasis, (2) bacterial prevention,
(3) thermal insulation, (4) exudate absorbability, and (5) cell/moisture retention in injured or damaged tissues.
Despite many encouraging results, current wound dressings still struggle to possess all of the desired properties.
Physical stimulations using ultrasound, negative pressures, hydrotherapy and electricity have been also reported
as supplements to wound dressing for promoting healing rate. Yet, all of these adjuvant approaches are still at
immature stages with limited applications in clinical settings. Nanofiber mats have appeared to be an appealing
platform for wound dressing. Due to their inherent nanostructures with high surface-to-volume ratio and high
porosity, the mats enable an enhanced hemostasis, excellent retention of cells and moisture, and high absorption
of exudate. Hypothetically, a hybridization of nanofiber dressings with physical stimulations such as ultrasound
and electrical therapies will provide a synergistic effect to significantly promote wound healing. In this regard,
The PI has recently developed a new bioresorbable and biocompatible piezoelectric polymer of poly-L-lactide
acid or PLLA (PNAS, 115 (5) 909-914, 2018), which can convert mechanical deformation into useful electricity
for stimulating wound healing. Here we propose for the first time a unique approach, utilizing a new
biodegradable piezoelectric nanofiber scaffold of PLLA, which is subjected to acoustic-pressure of non-
invasive ultrasound (US), to enhance wound healing. Our main hypothesis/scientific premise is that the
piezo-PLLA nanofibers under applied US will generate useful surface charge which together with excellent
wound-healing properties of the nanofibers will create a synergistic effect to suppress bacterial infection, facilitate
exudate drainage, promote proliferation of fibroblasts and enable rapid formation of collagen for re-
epithelialization, consequently promoting wound healing. To demonstrate this premise, the project will have three
specific aims; Aim 1 is to characterize piezoelectric surface charge, generated by the electrospun PLLA nanofiber
mat under applied US in vitro. Aim 2 is to assess activities of fibroblast and epithelial-cells on the piezoelectric
PLLA nanofiber mat with ultrasound stimulation and other wound dressing properties of the nanofibers in vitro.
And aim 3 is to demonstrate the use of this nanofiber mat and applied US for promoting healing of full-thickness
skin wound in vivo.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10046001
- **Project number:** 1R21AR076646-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS
- **Principal Investigator:** Thanh Nguyen
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $177,100
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10046001

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10046001, Biodegradable and Biocompatible Piezoelectric Nanofiber Mat for Wound Dressing (1R21AR076646-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10046001. Licensed CC0.

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