Mussel Inspired Polynorepinephrine Functionalized Electrospun Polycaprolactone Microfibers for Muscle Regeneration

Abstract

Electrospun scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties, high specific surface area and a commendable porous network are widely used in tissue engineering. Improving the hydrophilicity and cell adhesion of hydrophobic substrates is the key point to enhance the effectiveness of electrospun scaffolds. In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) fibrous membranes with appropriate diameter were selected and coated by mussel-inspired poly norepinephrine (pNE). And norepinephrine is a catecholamine functioning as a hormone and neurotransmitter in the human brain. The membrane with smaller diameter fibers, a relative larger specific surface area and the suitable pNE functionalization provided more suitable microenvironment for cell adhesion and proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. The regenerated muscle layer can be integrated well with fibrous membranes and surrounding tissues at the impaired site and thus the mechanical strength reached the value of native tissue. The underlying molecular mechanism is mediated via inhibiting myostatin expression by PI3K/AKT/mTOR hypertrophy pathway. The properly functionalized fibrous membranes hold the potential for repairing muscle injuries. Our current work also provides an insight for rational design and development of better tissue engineering materials for skeletal muscle regeneration.

Transferrin‐Coated Nanodiamond–Drug Conjugates for Milliwatt Photothermal Applications

“…The significance of polydopamine was quickly realized resting on its capability to adapt to various surface functions. This behavior was also observed for other catecholamines, such as l ‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l ‐DOPA) and norepinephrine . Chemically, polycatecholamine films possess important functional groups including amines, alcohols, and conjugated Michael acceptors leading to a massive variety of post‐functionalized surfaces .…”

Electrospun Fibrous Architectures for Drug Delivery, Tissue Engineering and Cancer Therapy

“…Incorporation of small molecules or single growth factor is one of the simplest way to load therapeutics into scaffolds for better performances. For better skeletal muscle regeneration, Liu et al coated PCL fibers with mussel‐inspired poly‐norepinephrine (pNE), a catecholamine functioning as a hormone and neurotransmitter in the human brain, to obtain fiber surfaces enriched with catechol groups that attract primary amine or thiol‐based biomolecules. Their study revealed that fiber meshes with thinner fiber diameter could be more effectively functionalized by pNE, and thus had higher muscle cell proliferation and adhesion and treatment efficacy for repairing impaired musculus rectus abdominis in a rat muscle injury model.…”

Electrospun Core–Shell Fibrous 2D Scaffold with Biocompatible Poly(Glycerol Sebacate) and Poly-l-Lactic Acid for Wound Healing

“…Both porous network and high surface-to-volume ratio are in favour of cellular attachment, migration and proliferation. In addition, good permeability of oxygen, carbon dioxide and water, outputting of metabolic waste and effective inhibiting pathogen invasion are the additional advantages of the fibrous membrane matrix [7,[31][32][33].…”