Electrospun Nanofibers for Improved Angiogenesis: Promises for Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

Angiogenesis (or the development of new blood vessels) is a key event in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine; thus, a number of biomaterials have been developed and combined with stem cells and/or bioactive molecules to produce three-dimensional (3D) pro-angiogenic constructs. Among the various biomaterials, electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds offer great opportunities for pro-angiogenic approaches in tissue repair and regeneration. Nanofibers made of natural and synthetic polymers are often used to incorporate bioactive components (e.g., bioactive glasses (BGs)) and load biomolecules (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) that exert pro-angiogenic activity. Furthermore, seeding of specific types of stem cells (e.g., endothelial progenitor cells) onto nanofibrous scaffolds is considered as a valuable alternative for inducing angiogenesis. The effectiveness of these strategies has been extensively examined both in vitro and in vivo and the outcomes have shown promise in the reconstruction of hard and soft tissues (mainly bone and skin, respectively). However, the translational of electrospun scaffolds with pro-angiogenic molecules or cells is only at its beginning, requiring more research to prove their usefulness in the repair and regeneration of other highly-vascularized vital tissues and organs. This review will cover the latest progress in designing and developing pro-angiogenic electrospun nanofibers and evaluate their usefulness in a tissue engineering and regenerative medicine setting.

Applications of Engineering Techniques in Microvasculature Design

“…A broad range of synthetic and natural polymers have been utilized for the fabrication of fibrous scaffolds that promote angiogenesis using electrospinning. However, conventional electrospinning techniques have limited potential for cell infiltration in part due to diverse and inconsistent pore sizes ( 14 ). This has been addressed in part via core-shell electrospinning which allows angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) ( 15 ) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) ( 16 ) to be incorporated into the nanofiber core.…”

Nanotechnologies: An Innovative Tool to Release Natural Extracts with Antimicrobial Properties

“…During the last years, an increasing interest in the biomedical use of polymeric nanofibers was recorded due to their high porosity, outstanding mechanical strength, and simplicity of fabrication [ 10 ]. In particular, nanofibers have been proposed as systems for the delivery of bioactive molecules [ 81 ] or in regenerative medicine [ 82 ] and also as wound dressings devices [ 83 ]. Usually, polymeric nanofibers can be fabricated by template synthesis [ 84 ], self-assembly [ 85 ], phase separation [ 86 ], and electrospinning [ 87 ].…”

Electrospun PCL-Based Vascular Grafts: In Vitro Tests

“…Therefore, a 3D scaffold, if made of nanofibers, should provide a biomimetic structure resembling the ECM [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The nano-scale feature of a nanofibrous scaffold possesses high surface to volume ratio, which enhances cell adhesion and cell migration, and facilitates nutrient supply to the cells more efficiently [ 20 ]. The principal advantage gained by electrospun nanofibers is its biomimetic Extracellular Matrix structure.…”