Fabrication of semipermeable hollow fiber membranes with highly aligned texture for nerve guidance

Abstract

In order to improve the guidance potential of a nerve entubulation bridging device, highly aligned textures were formed on the inner surface of semipermeable hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) during the wet phase inversion process. By precisely controlling the fabrication parameters, such as polymer solution flow rate, coagulant solution flow rate, and the air-gap distance, also called drop height, different-sized aligned grooves can be fabricated on the inner surface of HFMs. Preliminary studies using in vitro dorsal root ganglion (DRG) regeneration assay showed that both the alignment and outgrowth rate of regenerating axons increased significantly on HFMs with aligned textures compared to those on HFMs with a smooth inner surface. Studies in progress are evaluating axonal outgrowth and regeneration using in vivo sciatic-nerve and spinal-cord-injury models.

Neurite Outgrowth at the Biomimetic Interface

“…Edges, fibers, and grooves in the micrometer and nanometer range have been shown to guide and promote neurite outgrowth depending on the depth and width of such features 39. While grooves and fibers as narrow as 50 nm,21 as wide as 500 μm,49 as shallow as 14 nm,39 and as deep as 40 μm51 have directed neurite growth, a systematic analysis of topographical parameters that influence neurite growth has not previously been carried out. Further, while the study of axon guidance by geometric features helps to obtain knowledge of the topographical dimensions that influence cellular growth and alignment, it is important to consider that these features oversimplify the topography of the in vivo environment.…”

Polymeric hollow fiber membranes for bioartificial organs and tissue engineering applications

“…Table presents an overview of some of the most important polymeric materials used to produce HFs, fabrication methods and potential applications in TE and BAO. The polymers are classified based on their origin (natural or synthetic) and on their degradation properties (degradable or non‐degradable).…”

“…In Table the reader can find some work that reported polymeric tubular and HFs as nerve guide. Certain modifications to the tubular scaffolds morphology, like fabricating axially aligned grooves or patterns in the lumen side, enhanced the alignment and growth rate of the regenerated axons in comparison with those with smooth inner surface . Tubular scaffolds with axially aligned electrospun fibers were very often used .…”

Nerve Regeneration and Bioengineering

“…Having control over the film's thickness and its uniformity is one of the most important advantages of the fabrication technique. This technique can be merged with the particulate leaching method to control porosity and pore-related properties [63,64]. Solvent casting can be combined with other common fabrication techniques, such as particulate leaching, to fabricate a porous three-dimensional scaffold for tissue engineering application.…”