Carbon nanotube (CNT) and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) reinforcement effect on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) scaffolds fabricated via phase separation using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as solvent.

Although phase separation is a simple method of preparing tissue engineering scaffolds, it suffers from organic solvent residual in the scaffold. Searching for nontoxic solvents and developing effective solvent removal methods are current challenges in scaffold fabrication. In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) scaffolds containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or nanofibrillated cellulose fibers (NFCs) were prepared using low toxicity dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent.

Incorporation of poly(ethylene glycol) grafted cellulose nanocrystals in poly(lactic acid) electrospun nanocomposite fibers as potential scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were successfully synthesized and incorporated into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a reinforcing filler to produce nanocomposite scaffolds consisting of CNC-g-PEG and PLA using an electrospinning technique. Morphological, thermal, mechanical, and wettability properties as well as preliminary biocompatibility using human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) of PLA/CNC and PLA/CNC-g-PEG nanocomposite scaffolds were characterized and compared. The average diameter of the electrospun nanofibers decreased with increased filler loading level, due to the increased conductivity of the electrospun solutions.

Electrospinning thermoplastic polyurethane/graphene oxide scaffolds for small diameter vascular graft applications.

Fabrication of small diameter vascular grafts plays an important role in vascular tissue engineering. In this study, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/graphene oxide (GO) scaffolds were fabricated via electrospinning at different GO contents as potential candidates for small diameter vascular grafts. In terms of mechanical and surface properties, the tensile strength, Young's modulus, and hydrophilicity of the scaffolds increased with an increase of GO content while plasma treatment dramatically improved the scaffold hydrophilicity.

Multi-functional self-fluorescent unimolecular micelles for tumor-targeted drug delivery and bioimaging.

A novel type of self-fluorescent unimolecular micelle nanoparticle (NP) formed by multi-arm star amphiphilic block copolymer, Boltron® H40 (H40, a 4th generation hyperbranched polymer)-biodegradable photo-luminescent polymer (BPLP)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated with cRGD peptide (i.e., H40-BPLP-PEG-cRGD) was designed, synthesized, and characterized.

Properties and fibroblast cellular response of soft and hard thermoplastic polyurethane electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds.

Soft and hard thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and their blends were electrospun to fabricate nanofibrous scaffolds with various properties in order to investigate the substrate property effects on cellular response. The scaffolds were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle tests, and protein absorption tests. It was found that the hard segment content in the scaffold increased with the hard TPU ratio, which resulted in improved hydrophobicity and decreased over all protein absorption.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers with a self-induced nanohybrid shish-kebab structure mimicking collagen fibrils.

A three-dimensional structure consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers covered by periodically spaced PCL crystal lamellae, a self-induced nanohybrid shish-kebab (SINSK) structure, was created using electrospinning followed by a self-induced crystallization. The resulting structure that resembles the nanotopography of natural collagen nanofibrils in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of human tissues could serve as a tissue engineering scaffold. The formation mechanism of the self-induced shish-kebab structure was investigated with real-time observation of the crystallization process.