Electrospun scaffolds of silk fibroin and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) for endothelial cell growth

Abstract

Electrospun scaffolds of silk fibroin (SF) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) were prepared to mimic the morphology and chemistry of the extracellular matrix. The SF/PLGA scaffolds were treated with ethanol to improve their usability. After ethanol treatment the scaffolds exhibited a smooth surface and uniform fibers. SF transformed from random coil conformation to β-sheet structure after ethanol treatment, so that the SF/PLGA scaffolds showed low hydrophilicity and dissolving rate in water. The mechanical properties and the hydrophilicity of the blended fibrous scaffolds were affected by the weight ratio of SF and PLGA. During degradation of ethanol-treated SF/PLGA scaffolds in vitro, the fibers became thin along with the degradation time. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded onto the ethanol-treated nanofibrous scaffolds for cell viability, attachment and morphogenesis studies. These SF/PLGA scaffolds could enhance the viability, spreading and attachment of HUVECs. Based on these results, these ethanol-treated scaffolds are proposed to be a good candidate for endothelial cell growth.

REDV–polyethyleneimine complexes for selectively enhancing gene delivery in endothelial cells

“…Various bioinert and bioactive molecules such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), zwitterionic polymers, heparin, silk-fibroin and gelatin have been used to improve the hemocompatibility of scaffolds. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] The modification can improve the hydrophilicity and reduce their interaction with proteins and platelets, thus significantly enhancing the hemocompatibility. [12][13][14][15] In order to prevent thrombosis and restenosis in implants, rapid endothelialization which can form a robust and confluent endothelial cell (EC) monolayer has been considered to be another promising method.…”

Electrospun Poly(lactide-co-glycolide-co-3(S)-methyl-morpholine-2,5-dione) Nanofibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

“…It's well known that the tensile strength of natural coronary artery is about 1.4-11.14 MPa, and elongation at break is usually above 40% [52]. Previous studies showed that the tensile strength and elongation at break of PLGA-based nanofibrous scaffolds were about 2-6 MPa and 80%-140% [5,[53][54][55][56]. Here, the tensile strength and elongation at break of PLGA and P(LA-co-GA-co-MMD) nanofibrous scaffolds at dry condition were in the range of 2.63-3.23 MPa and 84%-117%, respectively, which could meet the mechanical requirement for transplantation of vascular scaffolds.…”

“…However, the small-diameter, synthetic vascular grafts are encountered in several problems such as thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and lower long-term patency rates in clinical application [1,4]. The ideal vascular tissue engineering scaffolds should be designed to mimic the native extracellular matrix (ECM) in order to regulate cellular behavior [5]. Native ECM is an interconnected 3D porous structure consisting of proteins and carbohydrate biopolymers, which provides suitable environment for cells to adhere, grow, and proliferate [6].…”

On the Routines of Wild-Type Silk Fibroin Processing Toward Silk-Inspired Materials: A Review

“…Only few examples among many are currently presented. Some works report on electrospinning for hydrophilic and biodegradable planar devices of SF/PLGA or hybrid salt‐leached porous scaffolds on solid film support . An interesting improvement of the lyophilization‐based method was recently presented in a group of works .…”