Hollow Fiber and Nanofiber Membranes in Bioartificial Liver and Neuronal Tissue Engineering

Abstract

To date, the creation of biomimetic devices for the regeneration and repair of injured or diseased tissues and organs remains a crucial challenge in tissue engineering. Membrane technology offers advanced approaches to realize multifunctional tools with permissive environments well-controlled at molecular level for the development of functional tissues and organs. Membranes in fiber configuration with precisely controlled, tunable topography, and physical, biochemical, and mechanical cues, can direct and control the function of different kinds of cells toward the recovery from disorders and injuries. At the same time, fiber tools also provide the potential to model diseases in vitro for investigating specific biological phenomena as well as for drug testing. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the literature concerning the development of hollow fibers and electrospun fiber membranes used in bioartificial organs, tissue engineered constructs, and in vitro bioreactors. With the aim to highlight the main biomedical applications of fiber-based systems, the first part reviews the fibers for bioartificial liver and liver tissue engineering with special attention to their multifunctional role in the long-term maintenance of specific liver functions and in driving hepatocyte differentiation. The second part reports the fiber-based systems used for neuronal tissue applications including advanced approaches for the creation of novel nerve conduits and in vitro models of brain tissue. Besides presenting recent advances and achievements, this work also delineates existing limitations and highlights emerging possibilities and future prospects in this field.

Applications of Alginate-Based Nanomaterials in Enhancing the Therapeutic Effects of Bee Products

“…Other less commonly used routes for fabricating alginate nanofibers by electrospinning include incorporation of co-solvent systems (e.g., glycerol and water), which also improve alginate electrospinnability ( Nie et al, 2008 ), as well as using carrier polymers with co-solvents and surfactants (e.g., DMSO and Triton, respectively) ( Saquing et al, 2013 ) in order to increase the content of alginate and to promote the formation of a 3D network of nanofibers, which may result from the reduction of the surface tension present at high alginate content ( Bonino et al, 2011 ; Velasco-Barraza et al, 2018 ). Owing to their highly porous structure and large specific surface area, alginate nanofibers mimic the extracellular matrix and enhance the proliferation of epithelial cells and the formation of new tissues ( Sun and Tan, 2013 ; Morelli et al, 2021 ). Also, their nano-size and nanofibrous mesh structure enhance hemostasis of injured tissues and stimulate rapid fluid absorption.…”

Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine in Italy: Brief State of the Art of the Principal Research Centers

“…Lastly, the CNR Institute on Membrane Technology (CNR-ITM, Cosenza) has worked on 3D culture for liver regeneration and neuroregenerative biomaterials [ 87 , 88 , 89 ]. This team investigated artificial 3D membranes for the development of biomimetic models, reliable tools for in vitro observations of neurological diseases [ 90 ]. In the last decade, several membrane bioreactors for neural differentiation have been developed including, PCL and chitosan for neural spheroids growth, PLLA microtube arrays and PLGA membrane platforms [ 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 ].…”

Nanofiber Carriers of Therapeutic Load: Current Trends

“…Although there are intensive R&D efforts towards nanofiber translation, scale-up of fabrication methods is usually the bottle neck of the process [ 5 ]. While several clinical trials of NF formulations have concluded or are currently recruiting or undergoing, there is a limited number of NF products in clinical use [ 6 , 7 ]. Currently, nanofiber-based products used in medicine field involve filtering devices, surgical implants and wound dressings and patches developed for drug delivery [ 5 ].…”