Jellyfish-Based Smart Wound Dressing Devices Containing In Situ Synthesized Antibacterial Nanoparticles

Although the negative consequences of the global phenomenon of jellyfish (JF) swarms are well recognized, the use of their biomass for practical applications is mostly limited to a niche in the Asian food industry. This fact is quite surprising since JF's biomass comprises useful biomaterials such as Q-mucin glycoprotein and collagen. In this work, the JF biomass, collected from two different species, is used to prepare electrospun scaffolds composed of nanometric “core–shell”-type fibers, in which adjustment of the electrospinning process parameters can easily control their mechanical, morphological, and chemical properties. This nonwoven scaffold shows excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, indicating suitability for biomedical research contexts. Performed cell proliferation assays show that the scaffold could support the growth of cardiac cells, fitting the requirement of tissue engineering. Additional incorporation of in situ-generated silver nanoparticles in these nanofibers produced mats with potent antibacterial properties. Preclinical trials with the resulted mats on porcine wound healing models exhibit fast and complete healing of wounds.