Photosensitizer-eluting nanofibers for enhanced photodynamic therapy of wounds: A preclinical study in immunocompromized rats.

Electrospun nanofibers (NFs) as drug delivery/tissue regeneration template and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) have been widely investigated as two different approaches to enhance wound healing. In the present study, the two approaches were combined in a single platform for greater healing enhancement potentials. Composite photosensitizer-eluting NFs were developed using a polyhydrohybutyrate/polyethylene glycol (60:40 PHB/PEG) polymer blend and methylene blue (MB) as antimicrobial photosensitizer (PS). NFs protected the photoactivity of entrapped MB, enhanced its photodynamic activity against two wound bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus standard strain (SA