Electrospun Scaffolds for Spinal Cord Injury Repair: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Advances

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and irreversible damage to the central nervous system that can result in permanent disability or even death. Electrospinning technology, as a specialized fiber preparation method, possesses unique advantages such as high porosity, adjustable pore size, and an extremely high surface area-to-volume ratio. Despite the widespread attention this technology has garnered for its potential application in the treatment of SCI, there is still a lack of comprehensive and up-to-date reviews in the existing literature, and specific clinical treatment guidelines are also scarce. As a result, researchers and clinicians lack targeted guidance for practical implementation. To address this gap, the present article systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which electrospun scaffolds facilitate SCI repair and their current therapeutic applications. First, this review provides an in-depth analysis of the five core mechanisms underlying electrospinning therapy for SCI, including extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicry, axonal-extension guidance, multimodal signal regulation, drug loading and sustained release, and physical support and protection. Next, this review examines how key electrospinning parameters (fiber diameter, alignment, surface chemistry, biodegradation rate, and nanomorphology) influence these therapeutic mechanisms. Finally, this review explores the state-of-the-art applications of electrospun scaffolds in SCI treatment, including purely structural conduits, biochemical functionalization (drug loading and controlled release, immunomodulation and anti-inflammation, and coaxial electrospinning), and multi-component composite materials (hydrogel–electrospun hybrids, cell- and growth-factor co-delivery systems, and cell electrospinning).

Keywords

Electrospinning / Spinal cord injury / Nanofiber scaffold

Author Contributions

C.Y. and S.Z. completed the initial draft of the paper. M.Y. played a central driving role in the overall content, conducting a comprehensive review and editing of the manuscript. C.L. (Chuankun Li) and Y.S.D. conducted an in-depth analysis of the research background, comprehensively combing through the development context of related fields. X.M. and X.Z. collected the literature relevant to this study, laying a solid theoretical foundation and providing theoretical support for the research. C.L. (Changhe Li) and Y.Z. (Yanbin Zhang) revised the format of the paper, ensuring that the paper conformed to academic norms in form and enhancing its readability and professionalism. Y.Z. (Yongxing Zang) and P.Y. summarized the research of this paper, distilling the core points and clearly presenting the key conclusions of the study.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Funding

This study was financially supported by the Support plan for Outstanding Youth Innovation Team in Universities of Shandong Province (2023KJ114), Young Talent of Lifting engineering for Science and Technology in Shandong, China (SDAST2024QTA043), Qingdao postdoctoral researchers applied research project funding (QDBSH20230102050).

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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