Multifunctional Scaffolds Based on Piezoelectric Electrospun Fibers modified with Biocompatible Drug Carriers for Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

The incorporation of bioactive compounds onto polymer fibrous scaffolds is essential to improve the functionality of scaffolds for personalized drug therapy and regenerative medicine. In this study, SiO2 microcapsules were prepared and used as drug carriers, which are further deposited onto polymer microfiber scaffolds [polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), and PHB doping with the conductive polyaniline (PANi) of 2 wt % (PHB-PANi)]. The number of immobilized microcapsules decreased with the increase of their ζ-potential due to the electrostatic repulsion forces between capsule wall and the negatively charged fiber surface, given the nature of the polymer used for the scaffold’s fabrication. Additionally, the immobilization of the capsules in dynamic mechanical conditions resulted in an increased number of the capsules attached on the fibers with the increasing of the scaffold piezoelectric response (PCL < PHB < PHB-PANi). Osteogenic factor dexamethasone (DEXA) is chosen for the microcapsules loading in order to demonstrate the osteogenesis of the developed scaffolds. The immobilization of microcapsules provides a simple and convenient way to incorporate bioactive compounds onto polymer scaffolds, which makes these multimodal materials suitable for the personalized drug therapy and bone tissue engineering.

Processes of Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Based Nanofibers, Their Piezoelectric Properties, and Several Fantastic Applications

“…Compared with pure PHB scaffolds, the surface potential under cyclic mechanical stress at a frequency of 4 Hz is increased by 4.2 times and 3.5 times, respectively [ 153 ]. Karpov et al [ 154 ] also reported the piezoelectric response of PHB NFs and studied the piezoelectric properties of polycaprolactone (PCL), PHB, and PHB–PANI, and found that PCL had the worst piezoelectric properties and PHB–PANI had the best piezoelectric properties.…”

Polyaniline based polymers in tissue engineering applications: a review

“…The reason for using conductive polymers is that many tissues in the human body, including heart, bone, nerve, skeletal muscle and skin, are electrically excitable tissues, hence one can exploit this to achieve a better result. A search of the literature has shown that in recent years, the proposed applications areas for conductive PANi in the field of TE have increased away from its usage in 'traditionally electroactive tissues' such as cardiac and nerve tissue towards applications in bone [6][7][8][9], cartilage [10], skin [11][12][13], and others.…”

Different osteoconductivity of PLLA/PHB composite nanofibers prepared by one‐ and two‐nozzle electrospinning

“…Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a well‐known member of the PHAs group. Their simplest applications are packaging of food containers, beverages, and plastic films and bags, as well as the biodegradability of PHAs and their compatibility with the vital systems that have led to their use in controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and veterinary medicine 21,22 …”