Elastomeric Electrospun Scaffolds of a Biodegradable Aliphatic Copolyester Containing PEG-Like Sequences for Dynamic Culture of Human Endothelial Cells

Abstract

In the field of artificial prostheses for damaged vessel replacement, polymeric scaffolds showing the right combination of mechanical performance, biocompatibility, and biodegradability are still demanded. In the present work, poly(butylene-co-triethylene trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate), a biodegradable random aliphatic copolyester, has been synthesized and electrospun in form of aligned and random fibers properly designed for vascular applications. The obtained materials were analyzed through tensile and dynamic-mechanical tests, the latter performed under conditions simulating the mechanical contraction of vascular tissue. Furthermore, the in vitro biological characterization, in terms of hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility in static and dynamic conditions, was also carried out. The mechanical properties of the investigated scaffolds fit within the range of physiological properties for medium- and small-caliber blood vessels, and the aligned scaffolds displayed a strain-stiffening behavior typical of the blood vessels. Furthermore, all the produced scaffolds showed constant storage and loss moduli in the investigated timeframe (24 h), demonstrating the stability of the scaffolds under the applied conditions of mechanical deformation. The biological characterization highlighted that the mats showed high hemocompatibility and low probability of thrombus formation; finally, the cytocompatibility tests demonstrated that cyclic stretch of electrospun fibers increased endothelial cell activity and proliferation, in particular on aligned scaffolds.

Electrospun Zein/Polyoxyethylene Core-Sheath Ultrathin Fibers and Their Antibacterial Food Packaging Applications

“…At the same time, during this process, the active substances uniformly dispersed in the solution would also maintain their morphology due to a high degree of solid dispersion that exists in ultrathin fibers [ 71 , 72 ]. In previous studies, it was concluded that only one fluid should be electrospinnable in coaxial electrospinning as the electrospinnability of the other fluid was not necessary, which was called modified coaxial electrospinning [ 73 , 74 ]. In this study, this theory was reflected.…”

Tight Regulation of Mechanotransducer Proteins Distinguishes the Response of Adult Multipotent Mesenchymal Cells on PBCE-Derivative Polymer Films with Different Hydrophilicity and Stiffness

“…We used films of poly(butylene trans-1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylate) homopolymer (PBCE) to elucidate the mechanotransduction pathway(s) activated by the film properties on hBM-MSCs and hASCs [ 35 , 39 ]. PBCE’s properties can be tuned either by the introduction of increasing amounts of different co-units [ 41 , 42 , 43 ], such as butylene diglycolate one (BDGx), or by the processing procedure used to generate the polymer films [ 25 ].…”

A Review on Electrospun Poly(amino acid) Nanofibers and Their Applications of Hemostasis and Wound Healing

“…Electrospinning differs from other spinning technologies, mainly in that the polymer solution or melt under the action of a high voltage electric field produces flow and deformation, generating a Taylor cone at the tip of the spinneret, and when the electric field strength is large enough to enable the droplets to overcome surface tension, a high-speed jet is generated, which is deposited on the receiving device to obtain fibers after a short distance electric field force of high speed stretching, solvent volatilization, and curing [ 34 , 35 , 36 ]. There are four main components in the electrospinning device, a high-voltage power supply that can generate up to 30 kV to higher voltages, a high-precision micro-pump with flow control, a nozzle, and an aluminum foil collector for fiber collection.…”