Development of Novel Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering by Flock Technology

Abstract

Flock technology is a method well known in the textile industry. Short fibers are applied almost vertically on a substrate, coated with a flocking adhesive. Until now, this technology has not been used in the field of biomaterials. Our aim was to use electrostatic flocking for fabricating a novel type of scaffolds for tissue engineering. This method offers the possibility to create matrices with anisotropic properties that have a high compressive strength despite high porosity. First, experiments were performed using a membrane made of mineralized collagen as substrate, gelatine as adhesive and polyamide flock fibers. Different kinds of cells were cultured in the scaffolds for up to six weeks. Using microscopic methods and biochemical analyses, we could demonstrate that cells adhered and proliferated well in this new type of scaffold. Therefore, we can summarize that flocking is a technology suitable for fabrication of scaffolds for cell cultivation and tissue engineering.

Review: unraveling the less explored flocking technology for tissue engineering scaffolds

“…3 Principle of electrostatic flocking. In the traditional flocking used in textiles industry, the electrostatic field used was 40,000 V whereas in the flocking for scaffold production, the electrostatic field required is 60,000 V. 73 …”

“…In another work done by Walther et al, it was observed that during cultivation for seven days on flocked scaffolds, 7F2 osteoblasts proliferated with higher rates, which was evident from 15-fold increase of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) 73. In addition to that, SEM images of flock scaffolds seeded with cells demonstrated a significant increase in cell number in comparison to day 1.…”

“…69-71 In conjunction to scaffold production, Ramakrishna has reviewed the various textile technologies which may be used for scaffold production. 72 Amongst all the available textile technologies, the scaffold fabricated by flocking confers exceptional properties, yet it still remains in an infant stage owing to the lack exploration in the novel flocking technology for tissue engineering applications.It has been known for a long time that flocking can be utilized on all kinds of items for creating special surface design [73][74][75]. Flocking was first demonstrated by French researchers to develop flocked wallpapers almost two centuries ago, and it has gained attention by leap and bounds during the last two decades following the inclusion of electrostatics in flocking, resulting in so-called electrostatic flocking 76,77.…”

Bilayered bioactive glass scaffolds incorporating fibrous morphology by flock technology

“…In case of cartilage damage, anisotropic scaffolds with parallel fiber orientation which provide columnar pore channels represent a suitable approach [4]. These types of scaffolds can be developed by flock technology [5]. Electroflocking is the process of applying short fibers to a substrate covered with an adhesive [6].…”

“…Despite its suitable application for fabricating ordered fibrous structures, electroflocking has not been yet widely considered to produce scaffolds for TE. Only few studies are available in literature [4,5,7]. Walther et al [7], for example, showed that chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which is determined by the synthesis of proteoglycan and deposition of collagen type II, was significantly higher on flock scaffolds than when cultivated in collagen gels.…”