Wound management is the burning problem of modern medicine, significantly burdening developed countries’ healthcare systems. In recent years, it has become clear that the achievements of nanotechnology have introduced a new quality in wound healing. The application of nanomaterials in wound dressing significantly improves their properties and promotes the healing of injuries. Therefore, this review paper presents the subjectively selected nanomaterials used in wound dressings, including the metallic nanoparticles (NPs), and refers to the aspects of their application as antimicrobial factors. The literature review was supplemented with the results of our team’s research on the elements of multifunctional new-generation dressings containing nanoparticles. The wound healing multiple molecular pathways, mediating cell types, and affecting agents are discussed herein. Moreover, the categorization of wound dressings is presented. Additionally, some materials and membrane constructs applied in wound dressings are described. Finally, bacterial participation in wound healing and the mechanism of the antibacterial function of nanoparticles are considered. Membranes involving NPs as the bacteriostatic factors for improving wound healing of skin and bones, including our experimental findings, are discussed in the paper. In addition, some studies of our team concerning the selected bacterial strains’ interaction with material involving different metallic NPs, such as AuNPs, AgNPs, Fe₃O₄NPs, and CuNPs, are presented. Furthermore, nanoparticles’ influence on selected eukaryotic cells is mentioned. The ideal, universal wound dressing still has not been obtained; thus, a new generation of products have been developed, represented by the nanocomposite materials with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties that can influence the wound-healing process.

This review is conducted against the background of nanotechnology, which provides us with a chance to effectively combat the spread of coronaviruses, and which primarily concerns polyelectrolytes and their usability for obtaining protective function against viruses and as carriers for anti-viral agents, vaccine adjuvants, and, in particular, direct anti-viral activity. This review covers nanomembranes in the form of nano-coatings or nanoparticles built of natural or synthetic polyelectrolytes––either alone or else as nanocomposites for creating an interface with viruses. There are not a wide variety of polyelectrolytes with direct activity against SARS-CoV-2, but materials that are effective in virucidal evaluations against HIV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV are taken into account as potentially active against SARS-CoV-2. Developing new approaches to materials as interfaces with viruses will continue to be relevant in the future.

Nerve regeneration through cell electrostimulation will become a key finding in regenerative medicine. The procedure will provide a wide range of applications, especially in body reconstruction, artificial organs or nerve prostheses. Other than in the case of the conventional polystyrene substrates, the application of the current flow in the cell substrate stimulates the cell growth and mobility, supports the synaptogenesis, and increases the average length of neuron nerve fibres. The indirect electrical cell stimulation requires a non-toxic, highly electrically conductive substrate material enabling a precise and effective cell electrostimulation. The process can be successfully performed with the use of the graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs)—the structures of high conductivity and biocompatible with mammalian NE-4C neural stem cells used in the study. One of the complications with the production of inks using GNPs is their agglomeration, which significantly hampers the quality of the produced coatings. Therefore, the selection of the proper amount of the surfactant is paramount to achieve a high-quality substrate. The article presents the results of the research into the material manufacturing used in the cell electrostimulation. The outcomes allow for the establishment of the proper amount of the surfactant to achieve both high conductivity and quality of the coating, which could be used not only in electronics, but also—due to its biocompatibility—fruitfully applied to the cell electrostimulation.

Cell immobilization within nano‐thin polymeric shells can provide an optimal concentration of biological material in a defined space and facilitate its directional growth. Herein, polyelectrolyte membrane scaffolds were constructed using a layer‐by‐layer approach to determine the possibility of promoting improved growth of rat cortical neuronal cells. Membrane presence was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Zeta potential, and atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Scaffold performance toward neuronal cell growth was assessed in vitro during a 14‐day culture. Cell conditions were analyzed immunocytochemically. Furthermore, western blot and real‐time PCR analyses were used to validate the presence of neuronal and glial cells on the scaffolds. We observed that alginate/chitosan, alginate/polylysine, and polyethyleneimine/chitosan scaffolds promote neuronal growth similarly to the control, poly‐d‐lysine/laminin. We conclude that membranes maintaining cell viability, integrity and immobilization in systems supporting neuronal regeneration can be applied in neurological disease or wound healing treatment. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 839–850, 2019.