The effect of sterilization methods on electronspun poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) and subsequent adhesion efficiency of mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract

The sterilization of scaffolds is an essential step for tissue engineering in vitro and, mainly, clinical biomaterial use. However, this process can cause changes in the structure and surface of the scaffolds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sterilization by ethanol, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) or antimicrobial solution (AMS) on poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds produced by the electrospinning technique. The properties of nanofibers and the cellular adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells to the scaffolds were analyzed after the treatments. All methods generated sterile scaffolds but showed some kind of damage to the scaffolds. Ethanol and AMS caused changes in the morphology and scaffold dimensions, which were not observed when using the UVR method. However, UVR caused a greater reduction in polymeric molecular weight, which increased proportionally with exposure time of treatment. Nanofibers sterilized with AMS for 1 h and 2 h showed greater cellular adhesion than the other methods, demonstrating their potential as a method for sterilizing PLGA nanofibers.

Ozone Gas as a Benign Sterilization Treatment for PLGA Nanofiber Scaffolds

“…2), and the nanofiber diameters also remained unchanged (Table 1). These results are comparable to exposure of PLGA nanofibers to electron beam, 25 gamma, 51,52 and UV 22,24 irradiation, which have also been shown to have no effect on fiber morphology and diameter. Conversely, wet chemical treatments, such ethanol, peracetic acid, or antimicrobial solution, have been shown to significantly decrease PLGA nanofiber diameters.…”

“…Conversely, wet chemical treatments, such ethanol, peracetic acid, or antimicrobial solution, have been shown to significantly decrease PLGA nanofiber diameters. 22,51 Effects of ozone gas treatment on the surface characteristics of the PLGA nanofibers were assessed by FTIR analysis and water contact angle measurement. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy showed that, in comparison to untreated controls, no additional functional groups were present on the sterilized scaffolds and peak intensities were unaffected (Fig.…”

Plasma surface functionalization of biodegradable electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

“…In a study conducted by Yang et al, the rate of neural stem cells differentiation was shown higher on PLLA nanofibers than on microfibers [78]. Another key feature of electrospinning is its capacity to tailor the nanofiber mesh porosity providing a large number of intra/inter connected pores allowing the cellular migration and the essential supply of nutrients for the cells [75,79]. Electrospinning can be also employed to design the nanofibers into specific arrays or 3D hierarchical architectures (e.g.…”

Association of electrospinning with electrospraying: a strategy to produce 3D scaffolds with incorporated stem cells for use in tissue engineering

“…The electrospun scaffolds are formed by fibers that are able to mimic in structure and scale the collagen fibers of the native extracellular matrix, providing a favorable and biomimetic microenvironment for cell adhesion, spreading, and development. 1,2 The efficacy of the use of scaffolds depends on their capacity to interact with cells. The interaction between the cells and scaffolds begins with the seeding process.…”