Carbon nanotubes
(CNTs) are known for their excellent conductive
properties. Here, we present two novel methods, “sandwich”
(sCNT) and dual deposition (DD CNT), for incorporating CNTs into electrospun
polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin scaffolds to increase their conductance.
Based on CNT percentage, the DD CNT
scaffolds contain significantly higher quantities of CNTs than the
sCNT scaffolds. The inclusion of CNTs increased the electrical conductance
of scaffolds from 0.0 ± 0.00 kS (non-CNT) to 0.54 ± 0.10
kS (sCNT) and 5.22 ± 0.49 kS (DD CNT) when measured parallel
to CNT arrays and to 0.25 ± 0.003 kS (sCNT) and 2.85 ± 1.12
(DD CNT) when measured orthogonally to CNT arrays. The inclusion of
CNTs increased fiber diameter and pore size, promoting cellular migration
into the scaffolds. CNT inclusion also decreased the degradation rate
and increased hydrophobicity of scaffolds. Additionally, CNT inclusion
increased Young’s modulus and failure load of scaffolds, increasing
their mechanical robustness. Murine fibroblasts were maintained on
the scaffolds for 30 days, demonstrating high cytocompatibility. The
increased conductivity and high cytocompatibility of the CNT-incorporated
scaffolds make them appropriate candidates for future use in cardiac
and neural tissue engineering.
Automation and mass-production are two of the many limitations in the tissue engineering industry. Textile fabrication methods such as electrospinning are used extensively in this field because of the resemblance of the extracellular matrix to the fiber structure. However, electrospinning has many limitations, including the ability to mass-produce, automate, and reproduce products. For this reason, this study evaluates the potential use of a traditional textile method such as spinning. Apart from mass production, these methods are also easy, efficient, and cost-effective. This study uses bovine-derived collagen fibers to create yarns using the traditional ring spinning method. The collagen yarns are proven to be biocompatible. Enzymatic biodegradability was also confirmed for its potential use in vivo. The results of this study prove the safety and efficacy of the material and the fabrication method. The material encourages higher cell proliferation and migration compared to tissue culture-treated plastic plates. The process is not only simple but is also streamlined and replicable, resulting in standardized products that can be reproduced.
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