title: Mechanically-enhanced three-dimensional scaffold with anisotropic morphology for tendon regeneration.
abstract: Tissue engineering has showed promising results in restoring diseased tendon tissue functions. Herein, a hybrid three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffold comprising an outer portion rolled from an electrohydrodynamic jet printed poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber mesh, and an inner portion fabricated from uniaxial stretching of a heat-sealed PCL tube, was developed for tendon tissue engineering (TE) application. The outer portion included three layers of micrometer-scale fibrous bundles (fiber diameter: ~25 µm), with an interconnected spacing and geometric anisotropy along the scaffold length. The inner portion showed orientated micro-ridges/grooves in a parallel direction to that of the outer portion. Owning to the addition of the inner portion, the as-fabricated scaffold exhibited comparable mechanical properties to those of the human patellar tendon in terms of Young's modulus (~227 MPa) and ultimate tensile stress (~50 MPa). Compared to the rolled electrospun fibers, human tenocytes cultured in the tendon scaffolds showed increased cellular metabolism. Furthermore, the 3D tendon scaffold resulted in up-regulated cell alignment, cell elongation and formation of collagen type I. These results demonstrated the potential of mechanically-enhanced 3D fibrous scaffold for applications in tendon TE, with desired cell alignment and functional differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zuyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.|National University of Singapore (Suzhou) Research Institute, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, 215123, China.
authors.forename: Jerry Ying Hsi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Fuh
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yoke San
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117576, Singapore. mpetes@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Eng San
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Thian
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D017847:Patellar Ligament / Q000473:pathology; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D011312:Pressure; D012038:Regeneration; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013710:Tendons / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D024042:Collagen Type I; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone