Development of electrospun nanofibers for biomedical applications: state of the art in Latin America

Abstract

Electrospinning is a powerful processing technique with huge potential in many attractive and cutting-edge research fields. This technique allows the production of nonwoven micro/nanofibrous materials, including polymers, ceramics and metals, with a wide range of morphologies and functionalities. The highly porous electrospun scaffolds are ideal for biomedical applications, in particular for tissue engineering and drug delivery of biologically active compounds. In this review, we summarize the works on electrospun micro/nanofibers for biomedical applications carried out by research groups from Latin American countries. Studies are mainly focused on nanofibrous polymeric systems for drug delivery of therepeutic and bioactive agents, tissue engineering scaffolds and sensors, as well as other biomedical applications.