title: A bFGF-releasing silk/PLGA-based biohybrid scaffold for ligament/tendon tissue engineering using mesenchymal progenitor cells.
abstract: An ideal scaffold that provides a combination of suitable mechanical properties along with biological signals is required for successful ligament/tendon regeneration in mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering strategies. Among the various fibre-based scaffolds that have been used, hybrid fibrous scaffolds comprising both microfibres and nanofibres have been recently shown to be particularly promising. This study developed a biohybrid fibrous scaffold system by coating bioactive bFGF-releasing ultrafine PLGA fibres over mechanically robust slowly-degrading degummed knitted microfibrous silk scaffolds. On the ECM-like biomimetic architecture of ultrafine fibres, sustained release of bFGF mimicked the ECM in function, initially stimulating mesenchymal progenitor cell (MPC) proliferation, and subsequently, their tenogeneic differentiation. The biohybrid scaffold system not only facilitated MPC attachment and promoted cell proliferation, with cells growing both on ultrafine PLGA fibres and silk microfibres, but also stimulated tenogeneic differentiation of seeded MPCs. Upregulated gene expression of ligament/tendon-specific ECM proteins and increased collagen production likely contributed to enhancing mechanical properties of the constructs, generating a ligament/tendon analogue that has the potential to be used to repair injured ligaments/tendons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Sambit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sahoo
authors.forename: Siew Lok
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Toh
authors.forename: James C H
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Goh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008022:Ligaments / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011817:Rabbits; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013710:Tendons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D047011:Silk; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid