Directed differentiation and neurite extension of mouse embryonic stem cell on aligned poly(lactide) nanofibers functionalized with YIGSR peptide

Biomaterials for in situ tissue regeneration: development and perspectives

Biomaterials are of fundamental importance to in situ tissue regeneration, which has emerged as a powerful method to treat tissue defects. The development and perspectives of biomaterials for in situ tissue regeneration were summarized.

Silk Nanofiber Hydrogels with Tunable Modulus to Regulate Nerve Stem Cell Fate

Reconstruction of damaged nerves remains a significant unmet challenge in clinical medicine. To foster improvements, the control of neural stem cell (NSC) behaviors, including migration, proliferation and differentiation are critical factors to consider. Topographical and mechanical stimulation based on the control of biomaterial features is a promising approach, which are usually studied separately. The synergy between topography and mechanical rigidity could offer new insights into the control of neural cell fate if they could be utilized concurrently in studies. To achieve this need, silk fibroin self-assembled nanofibers with a beta-sheet-enriched structure are formed into hydrogels. Stiffness is tuned using different annealing processes to enable mechanical control without impacting the nanofiber topography. Compared with nonannealed nanofibers, NSCs on methanol annealed nanofibers with stiffness similar to nerve tissues differentiate into neurons with the restraint of glial differentiation, without the influence of specific differentiation biochemical factors. These results demonstrate that combining topographic and mechanical cues provides the control of nerve cell behaviors, with potential for neurogenerative repair strategies.

Epidermal differentiation of stem cells on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanofibers

Nanomaterials with stem cells have evolved as a promising therapeutic strategy to regenerate various tissues. Tissue engineered grafts with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) can offer a cell-based therapeutic strategy for deep wounds like burns and traumatic ulcers. In this study, we have fabricated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) nanofibers through electrospinning. The adhesion, proliferation and epidermal differentiation of BM-MSCs on PHBV nanofibers were investigated. Epidermal differentiation media containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, 3,3',5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3), Hydrocortisone and 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin (D3) were used to trigger differentiation of BM-MSCs on PHBV. The proliferation of BM-MSCs on PHBV was significantly higher than the tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) control (p < 0.05). Live/dead staining of BM-MSCs on PHBV nanofibers confirmed the change in morphology of BM-MSCs from spindle to polygonal shape indicating their differentiation into keratinocytes. The expression levels of the genes keratin (early), filaggrin (intermediate) and involucrin (late) that are involved in epidermal differentiation were upregulated in a stage-specific manner. Our results demonstrate the potential of PHBV nanofibers in promoting adhesion and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. This novel cellular nanofiber construct can be a better alternative to the existing therapies for skin tissue engineering.

Surface Modification of Melt Extruded Poly(ε-caprolactone) Nanofibers: Toward a New Scalable Biomaterial Scaffold

A photochemical modification of melt-extruded polymeric nanofibers is described. A bioorthogonal functional group is used to decorate fibers made exclusively from commodity polymers, covalently attach fluorophores and peptides, and direct cell growth. Our process begins by using a layered coextrusion method, where poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers are incorporated within a macroscopic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) tape through a series of die multipliers within the extrusion line. The PEO layer is then removed with a water wash to yield rectangular PCL nanofibers with controlled cross-sectional dimensions. The fibers can be subsequently modified using photochemistry to yield a "clickable" handle for performing the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction on their surface. We have attached fluorophores, which exhibit dense surface coverage when using ligand-accelerated CuAAC reaction conditions. In addition, an RGD peptide motif was coupled to the surface of the fibers. Subsequent cell-based studies have shown that the RGD peptide is biologically accessible at the surface, leading to increased cellular adhesion and spreading versus PCL control surfaces. This functionalized coextruded fiber has the advantages of modularity and scalability, opening a potentially new avenue for biomaterials fabrication.