Fabrication and evaluation of Edaravone-loaded chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol electrospun nanofibers scaffold for spinal cord injury repair.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to severe loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions due to damage of key axonal pathways within the white matter. Despite clinical advances, achieving complete functional recovery remains elusive, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Emerging research has highlighted nanofiber scaffolds as promising tools for simulating axonal regeneration by replicating the extracellular matrix of nerve tissue. Edaravone, a potent free radical scavenger, offers added neuroprotective and regenerative benefits. In this study, co-axial Edaravone-loaded chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol electrospun nanofibers (EDANF) were developed for SCI treatment. The resulting scaffold displayed uniform morphology, with a mean fiber diameter of 266 nm, and formation was verified by SEM and XRD, while FTIR confirmed effective crosslinking. Drug release studies showed rapid initial release (35 % within 24 h) and sustained cumulative release (94.02 % by day 28). Safety assessments established EDANF as non-toxic for NIH3T3 cells, non-haemolytic for red blood cells, and non-irritant in the HET-CAM assay. The scaffold further demonstrated in-vitro wound healing capability in scratch assays. In vivo, EDANF treatment produced significant neurological improvement in SCI rats, outperforming disease controls. Histology supported reduced cavitation and enhanced neuronal retention, while cytokine and oxidative stress markers also reflected notable recovery. Collectively, these results indicate that EDANF is a safe and effective platform for spinal cord repair, offering distinct advantages over current treatment modalities.