Bionanofibers in drug delivery

Their high surface area, open porosity, and adjustable pore size render nanofibers a distinct class of candidates suitable for site-specific controlled drug delivery. Bionanofibers can be fabricated using numerous types of polymers, both synthetic and natural, with various techniques. Currently, the three major techniques employed to fabricate nanofibers are (1) electrospinning, (2) self-assembly, and (3) temperature-induced phase separation with electrospinning being the most popular. For therapeutic purposes, different types of drugs, growth factors, and genes may be either internalized within the nanofibers or surface-conjugated. Due to the versatility of drugs being used, these drug-loaded nanofibers can be utilized in many clinical applications including cutaneous wound dressing, cancer drug delivery, and inhibition of scar formation as well as reconstruction of various tissues. This chapter entails information about nanofibers fabricated by different techniques as well as their applications in drug delivery and tissue regeneration.