Optimization of Polymer-ECM Composite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Effect of Cells and Culture Conditions on Polymeric Nanofiber Mats

Abstract

The design of composite tissue scaffolds containing an extracellular matrix (ECM) and synthetic polymer fibers is a new approach to create bioactive scaffolds that can enhance cell function. Currently, studies investigating the effects of ECM-deposition and decellularization on polymer degradation are still lacking, as are data on optimizing the stability of the ECM-containing composite scaffolds during prolonged cell culture. In this study, we develop fibrous scaffolds using three polymer compositions, representing slow (E0000), medium (E0500), and fast (E1000) degrading materials, to investigate the stability, degradation, and mechanics of the scaffolds during ECM deposition and decellularization, and during the complete cellularization-decell-recell cycle. We report data on percent molecular weight (% Mw) retention of polymeric fiber mats, changes in scaffold stiffness, ECM deposition, and the presence of fibronectin after decellularization. We concluded that the fast degrading E1000 (Mw retention ≤ 50% after 28 days) was not sufficiently stable to allow scaffold handling after 28 days in culture, while the slow degradation of E0000 (Mw retention ≥ 80% in 28 days) did not allow deposited ECM to replace the polymer support. The scaffolds made from medium degrading E0500 (Mw retention about 60% at 28 days) allowed the gradual replacement of the polymer network with cell-derived ECM while maintaining the polymer network support. Thus, polymers with an intermediate rate of degradation, maintaining good scaffold handling properties after 28 days in culture, seem best suited for creating ECM-polymer composite scaffolds.

Plant Tissues as 3D Natural Scaffolds for Adipose, Bone and Tendon Tissue Regeneration

“…Hence, a possible application for decellularized carrot-derived scaffolds could be bone fillers in non-load bearing conditions. Furthermore, an inorganic ECM deposition in vitro or in vivo by cells could improve the mechanical properties of the obtained scaffold over time, (Goyal et al, 2017) thus decreasing the mechanical gap between the native tissue and the scaffold.…”

Tissue Engineering the Annulus Fibrosus Using 3D Rings of Electrospun PCL:PLLA Angle-Ply Nanofiber Sheets

“…This is based on the change in dimensions of the ringed construct after 21 days in culture, where construct height reduced by 18.4% and diameter by 20.0% when compared to construct dimensions at 3 days. These changes in construct dimensions during culture are likely to be due to a greater number of cells contracting on the material and on their secreted ECM (Knight and Przyborski, 2015;Goyal et al, 2017). Furthermore, these ringed constructs lacked a gelatinous NP core, which may also have helped to stabilize the structure.…”

Improvement of hepatogenic differentiation of iPS cells on an aligned polyethersulfone compared to random nanofibers

“…The application of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells holds great promises in the cell-based therapy and tissue engineering applications. Recently, tissue engineering has introduced new medical cell replacement therapies as an alternative to the traditional transplantation procedures using polymeric biomaterials, which comprises a composite network of nano-and microscale fibers forming highly structured local extracellular matrix (ECM) and microenvironment [1]. Synthetic and natural scaffolds such as nanofibers that trial to mimic the ECM are required to organize the single cells into a higher ordered assembly so as to complete the desired tissue topography and function for tissue engineering applications [2].…”