Fabrication of a new tubular fibrous PLCL scaffold for vascular tissue engineering.
Biodegradable macroporous scaffolds have been developed for tissue-engineering applications. We fabricated and characterized a new tubular, macroporous, fibrous scaffold using a very elastic biodegradable co-polymer, poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL, 5:5) in a gel-spinning process. A viscous PLCL solution was spun as a gel-phase under swirl-flow conditions and was subsequently fabricated to produce a tubular fibrous scaffold on a rotating cylindrical shaft in a methanol solution. The porosity and median pore size of the fibrous PLCL scaffolds were 55-75% and 120-150 microm, respectively, using a 5-10% PLCL solution. The use of a 7.5% (w/v) solution resulted in scaffolds with tensile strength and elastic modulus of 3.39 MPa and 1.22 MPa, respectively. The scaffolds exhibited 500-600% elongation-at-break. The tensile strength and modulus of fibrous PLCL scaffolds were proven to decrease on lowering the concentration of the PLCL spinning solution; however, the tensile strength and modulus of fibrous PLCL scaffolds, produced from 5% solutions, are approximately 4- and 5-times higher than those of extruded PLCL scaffolds. These properties indicated that the fibrous PLCL scaffolds were very elastic and mechanically strong. The scaffolds appeared to be well inter-connected between the pores as determined by SEM imaging analysis. In addition, the cell-seeding efficiency was 2-fold higher using gel-spun scaffolds than using extruded scaffolds. These results suggest that the gel-spun fibrous PLCL scaffold is an excellent matrix for vascular tissue-engineering applications.
Kim
Sang-Heon
SH
Biomaterial Research Center Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-Dong, Seongbook-Ku, Seoul 136-791, South Korea.
Kwon
Jae Hyun
JH
Chung
Min Sub
MS
Chung
Eunna
E
Jung
Youngmee
Y
Kim
Soo Hyun
SH
Kim
Young Ha
YH
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D005782:Gels; D006801:Humans; D011091:Polyesters; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005782:Gels; D011091:Polyesters; C062968:lactide-caprolactone copolymer