Microfluidic chip-based fabrication of PLGA microfiber scaffolds for tissue engineering.
In this paper, we have developed a method to produce poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microfibers within a microfluidic chip for the generation of 3D tissue engineering scaffolds. The synthesis of PLGA fibers was achieved by using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microfluidic spinning device in which linear streams of PLGA dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were precipitated in a glycerol-containing water solution. By changing the flow rate of PLGA solution from 1 to 50 microL/min with a sheath flow rate of 250 or 1000 microL/min, fibers were formed with diameters that ranged from 20 to 230 microm. The PLGA fibers were comprised of a dense outer surface and a highly porous interior. To evaluate the applicability of PLGA microfibers generated in this process as a cell culture scaffold, L929 fibroblasts were seeded on the PLGA fibers either as-fabricated or coated with fibronectin. L929 fibroblasts showed no significant difference in proliferation on both PLGA microfibers after 5 days of culture. As a test for application as nerve guide, neural progenitor cells were cultured and the neural axons elongated along the PLGA microfibers. Thus our experiments suggest that microfluidic chip-based PLGA microfiber fabrication may be useful for 3D cell culture tissue engineering applications.
Korea Artificial Organ Center, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University, Seoul 136-705, Republic of Korea.
Chang Mo
CM
Hwang
Ali
A
Khademhosseini
Yongdoo
Y
Park
Kyung
K
Sun
Sang-Hoon
SH
Lee
D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid