Cell viability and angiogenic potential of a bioartificial adipose substitute.

An implantable scaffold pre-seeded with cells needs to remain viable and encourage rapid angiogenesis in order to replace injured tissues, especially for tissue defect repairs. We created a bioartificial adipose graft composed of an electrospun 3D nanofibrous scaffold and fat tissue excised from New Zealand white rabbits. Cell viability and angiogenesis potential of the bioartificial substitute were examined during four weeks of culture in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium by immunohistochemical staining with LIVE/DEAD® cell kit and PECAM-1 antibody, respectively.

Technological advances in electrospinning of nanofibers.

Progress in the electrospinning techniques has brought new methods for the production and construction of various nanofibrous assemblies. The parameters affecting electrospinning include electrical charges on the emerging jet, charge density and removal, as well as effects of external perturbations. The solvent and the method of fiber collection also affect the construction of the final nanofibrous architecture.

Tubular nanofiber scaffolds for tissue engineered small-diameter vascular grafts.

Quick establishment of a confluent and stable endothelial cells (ECs) layer in the lumen of vascular grafts is critical for long-term patency of small-diameter vascular grafts. The objective of the study was to fabricate tubular nanofiber scaffolds, incorporate ECs onto the lumen of the scaffolds, and establish an animal model to prove the basic concept of using the scaffolds as vascular grafts. Poly(L-lactic acid)-co-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) P(LLA-CL 70:30) tubular nanofiber scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning onto a rotating mandrel.

Biodegradable polymer nanofiber mesh to maintain functions of endothelial cells.

Maintaining functions of endothelial cells in vitro is a prerequisite for effective endothelialization of biomaterials as an approach to prevent intimal hyperplasia of small-diameter vascular grafts. The aim of this study was to design suitable nanofiber meshes (NFMs) that further maintain the phenotype and functions of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Collagen-coated random and aligned poly(L-lactic acid)-co-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (P(LLA-CL)) NFMs were fabricated using electrospinning.

Electrospun scaffold tailored for tissue-specific extracellular matrix.

The natural extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex structure that is built to meet the specific requirements of the tissue and organ. Primarily consisting of nanometer diameter fibrils, ECM may contain other vital substances such as proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycan and various minerals. Current research in tissue engineering involves trying to replicate the ECM such that it provides the environment for tissue regeneration.

An aligned nanofibrous collagen scaffold by electrospinning and its effects on in vitro fibroblast culture.

Fabrication of nanofibrous scaffolds with well-defined architecture mimicking native extracellular matrix analog has significant potentials for many specific tissue engineering and organs regeneration applications. The fabrication of aligned collagen nanofibrous scaffolds by electrospinning was described in this study. The structure and in vitro properties of these scaffolds were compared with a random collagen scaffold.

Formation of collagen-glycosaminoglycan blended nanofibrous scaffolds and their biological properties.

The development of blended collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) scaffolds can potentially be used in many soft tissue engineering applications since the scaffolds mimic the structure and biological function of native extracellular matrix (ECM). In this study, we were able to obtain novel nanofibrous collagen-GAG scaffolds by electrospinning collagen blended with chondroitin sulfate (CS), a widely used GAG, in a mixed solvent of trifluoroethanol and water. The electrospun collagen-GAG scaffold with 4% CS (COLL-CS-04) exhibited a uniform fiber structure with nanoscale diameters.

Fabrication and endothelialization of collagen-blended biodegradable polymer nanofibers: potential vascular graft for blood vessel tissue engineering.

Electrospun collagen-blended poly(L-lactic acid)-co-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) [P(LLA-CL), 70:30] nanofiber may have great potential application in tissue engineering because it mimicks the extracellular matrix (ECM) both morphologically and chemically. Blended nanofibers with various weight ratios of polymer to collagen were fabricated by electrospinning. The appearance of the blended nanofibers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

Fabrication of collagen-coated biodegradable polymer nanofiber mesh and its potential for endothelial cells growth.

Endothelialization of biomaterials is a promising way to prevent intimal hyperplasia of small-diameter vascular grafts. The aim of this study was to design a nanofiber mesh (NFM) that facilitates viability, attachment and phenotypic maintenance of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Collagen-coated poly(L-lactic acid)-co-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) P(LLA-CL 70:30) NFM with a porosity of 64-67% and a fiber diameter of 470+/-130 nm was fabricated using electrospinning followed by plasma treatment and collagen coating.