title: Electrospinning and crosslinking of low-molecular-weight poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-(L)-lactide) as an elastomeric scaffold for vascular engineering.
abstract: The growth of suitable tissue to replace natural blood vessels requires a degradable scaffold material that is processable into porous structures with appropriate mechanical and cell growth properties. This study investigates the fabrication of degradable, crosslinkable prepolymers of l-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate into porous scaffolds by electrospinning. After crosslinking by γ-radiation, dimensionally stable scaffolds were obtained with up to 56% trimethylene carbonate incorporation. The fibrous mats showed Young's moduli closely matching human arteries (0.4-0.8MPa). Repeated cyclic extension yielded negligible change in mechanical properties, demonstrating the potential for use under dynamic physiological conditions. The scaffolds remained elastic and resilient at 30% strain after 84days of degradation in phosphate buffer, while the modulus and ultimate stress and strain progressively decreased. The electrospun mats are mechanically superior to solid films of the same materials. In vitro, human mesenchymal stem cells adhered to and readily proliferated on the three-dimensional fiber network, demonstrating that these polymers may find use in growing artificial blood vessels in vivo.
authors: Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors: Bronwin L
authors: BL
authors: Dargaville
authors: Cédryck
authors: C
authors: Vaquette
authors: Firas
authors: F
authors: Rasoul
authors: Justin J
authors: JJ
authors: Cooper-White
authors: Julie H
authors: JH
authors: Campbell
authors: Andrew K
authors: AK
authors: Whittaker
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D004146:Dioxanes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D020724:Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012399:Rotation; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004146:Dioxanes; D020724:Elastomers; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; C059299:polytrimethylene carbonate; C033616:poly(lactide)