Electrospun Zn-cobimetinib-levofloxacin-PVA/PVP nanofibers for skin-targeted anticancer and antimicrobial applications

Abstract

The development of wound dressings that simultaneously combat skin cancer and prevent bacterial infection remains an unmet clinical need. Herein, we report electrospun nanofibrous composites composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) co-loaded with cobimetinib, levofloxacin, and zinc nitrate. Cobimetinib's tetradentate coordination enabled the formation of a stable Zn-based coordination complex within the polymeric matrix (Zn-cobimetinib-levofloxacin-PVA/PVP nanofibers), ensuring stable incorporation of the drugs while preserving their biological activity. Physicochemical characterization, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy eispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermogravimetric (DTG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ultraviolet and visible-spectroscopy (UV-vis), tensile strength, contact angle, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherm, confirmed uniform fiber morphology, structural integrity, and retention of chemical functionalities. Biological evaluations showed that the nanofibers reduced the viability of A431 skin carcinoma cells by approximately 70% after 48 h under the tested conditions and antimicrobial efficacy with MIC of 2 to 64 µg mL⁻¹ against clinically relevant pathogens. The results highlight the synergistic multifunctionality of the composite, establishing it as a electrospun platform for skin wound dressings and therapeutic bandages with dual anticancer and antimicrobial effects. From a chemical standpoint, this work demonstrates a synthetic strategy where anticancer and antibiotic drugs function as coordinating ligands, offering a design principle for other drug-metal hybrid materials.