Engineered Taurine-Loaded Nanoliposomes for Sustained Release and Enhanced In Vitro Wound Healing Efficacy

Background: Taurine is a bioactive amino acid that has great potential for wound healing, but it struggles with poor skin penetration and quick clearance. This study aimed to develop taurine-loaded nanoliposomes (Nlp-Tau) to enable sustained local delivery and improve effectiveness. Methods: Nlp-Tau were prepared using thin-film hydration. We characterized them for size, charge, shape, encapsulation efficiency (EE%), loading efficiency (LE%), and in vitro release. Also, its biocompatibility on human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay) has been assessed. In vitro wound healing potential was further evaluated using a scratch assay. Results: Optimized Nlp-Tau showed favorable properties, including an average hydrodynamic diameter of about 282 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.2, a strong negative zeta potential of −31.3 mV, and a spherical shape. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed diameters of about 142 nm and 194 nm for the drug-free and taurine-loaded particles, respectively. Additionally, EE% and LE% were 20% and 2.5%, respectively. In vitro release in PBS (pH 7.4) followed Higuchi kinetics, showing sustained release over 72 h. Nlp-Tau displayed excellent biocompatibility, with HFF viability significantly higher than other groups at concentrations up to 7 mg/mL. Importantly, in the scratch assay, Nlp-Tau treatment resulted in just 6.8% of the wound area remaining after 48 h, which outperformed free taurine at 10.7%. Conclusions: The Nlp-Tau system we developed offers a stable, biocompatible, and effective delivery method for sustained taurine release. It demonstrates greatly improved in vitro wound closure and shows strong potential for future wound care applications.