Electrospun mats for drug repositioning: Antimicrobial and antitumor applications

Abstract

This PhD Thesis focuses on developing alternative approaches for treating two major societal challenges: antimicrobial resistance and cancer, with a particular emphasis on glioblastoma. To address these issues, a range of electrospun mats were prepared. Various essential oils namely carvacrol, citronellol, and cinnamic acid displaying antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic properties were evaluated for treating infected chronic wounds. Additionally, the repurposed drug disulfiram was encapsulated to leverage its anticancer and antimicrobial properties in the presence of selective amounts of CuII, forming the CuDDC2 complex that enhanced the activity and reduced the toxicity. Cyclodextrins such as alpha-CD and HP-beta-CD were used to encapsulate these active compounds, improving their poor physicochemical properties and tuning the release profiles. This work highlights the advantages and versatility of the electrospinning technique in producing fiber-based scaffolds for biomedical applications.