Surface Modification of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Membrane by Combining Surface Aminolysis Treatment with Collagen Immobilization

Designing Novel Interfaces via Surface Functionalization of Short-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoates

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a microbial plastic has emerged as promising biomaterial owing to the broad range of mechanical properties. However, some studies revealed that PHA is hydrophobic and has no recognition site for cell attachment and this is often a limitation in tissue engineering aspects. Owing to this, the polymer is tailored accordingly in order to enhance the biocompatibilityin vivoas well as to suit the intended application. Thus far, these surface modifications have led to PHA being widely used in various biomedical and pharmaceutical applications such as cardiac patches, wound management, nerve, bone, and cartilage repair. This review addresses the surface modification on biomedical applications focusing on short-chain-length PHA such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)], poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)].

Biomacromolecule immobilization: grafting of fish-scale collagen peptides onto aminolyzed P(3HB-co-4HB) scaffolds as a potential wound dressing

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a microbial polymer that has been at the forefront of many attempts at tissue engineering. However, the surface of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB-co-4HB)) is hydrophobic with few recognition sites for cell attachment. Various concentrations of fish-scale collagen peptides (FSCPs) were incorporated into P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymer by aminolysis. Later, FSCPs were introduced onto the aminolyzed P(3HB-co-4HB) scaffolds. Introduction of the FSCP groups was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the ninhydrin method. The effect of the incorporation of FSCPs on hydrophilicity was investigated using the water contact angle. As the concentration of FSCPs increased, the water contact angle decreased. In vitro study demonstrated that P(3HB-co-4HB)/FSCP scaffolds provided better cell attachment and growth of L929 mouse fibroblast cells and better cell proliferation. In vivo study showed that P(3HB-co-4HB)/1.5 wt% FSCPs had a significant effect on wound contractions, with the highest percentage of wound closure (61%) in 7 d.

Simultaneous dual syringe electrospinning system using benign solvent to fabricate nanofibrous P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct as potential leave-on wound dressing

The main focus of this study is the incorporation of collagen peptides to fabricate P(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] nano-fiber construct to further enhance surface wettability and support cell growth while harbouring desired properties for biodegradable wound dressing. Simultaneous electrospinning of nanofiber P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct was carried out using dual syringe system. The wettability of the constructs increased with the increase in 4HB molar fraction from 20mol% 4HB [53.2°], P(3HB-co-35mol%4HB)[48.9°], P(3HB-co-50mol%4HB)[44.5°] and P(3HB-co-82mol%4HB) [37.7°]. In vitro study carried out using mouse fibroblast cells (L929) grown on nanofiber P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct showed an increase in cell proliferation. In vivo study using animal model (Sprague Dawley rats) showed that nanofibrous P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct had a significant effect on wound contractions with the highest percentage of wound closure of 79%. Hence, P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen peptides construct suitable for wound dressing have been developed using nano-fabrication technique.

Designing of Collagen Based Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymer was modified using collagen by adapting dual solvent system. The surface properties of samples were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), organic elemental analysis (CHN analysis), and water contact angle measurements. The effects of collagen concentration, scaffold thickness, and 4HB molar fraction on the hydrophilicity were optimized by the Taguchi method. The orthogonal array experiment was conducted to obtain the response for a hydrophilic scaffold. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant parameters and determine the optimal level for each parameter. The results also showed that the hydrophilicity of P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen blend scaffolds increased as the collagen concentration increased up to 15 wt% with a molar fraction of 50 mol% at 0.1 mm scaffold thickness. The biocompatibility of the P(3HB-co-4HB)/collagen blend surface was evaluated by fibroblast cell (L929) culture. The collagen blend scaffold surfaces showed significant cell adhesion and growth as compared to P(3HB-co-4HB) copolymer scaffolds.

The effects of PHBV electrospun fibers with different diameters and orientations on growth behavior of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Microenvironments in which cells live play an important role in the attachment, growth and interactions of cells. To mimic the natural structure of extracellular matrices, electrospinning was applied to fabricate biomaterials into ultrafine fibers. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a biocompatible and biodegradable polyester, has been shown to be an excellent biomaterial candidate for tissue engineering. In this study, five types of PHBV fibrous scaffolds with different diameters and orientations were obtained by changing solvents, concentration of electrospun solution and collector. Three kinds of scaffolds with good continuity and suitable mechanical properties, selected according to the morphology and mechanical properties of the scaffolds, were used for studying the influence of fiber diameter and orientation on growth behavior of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The results indicated that the random-oriented nanofibrous scaffold is most favorable for cell growth compared to other scaffolds, while the microfibrous scaffold resulted in the lowest viability of MSCs. The orientation of nanofibers showed a distinct effect on cell morphology by guiding cell skeleton extension. Both the random-oriented and aligned PHBV nanofibrous scaffolds showed to be good candidates for applications in tissue engineering.

Surface modification of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer films for promoting interaction with bladder urothelial cells

Often bladder dysfunction and diseases lead to therapeutic interventions that require partial or complete replacement of damaged tissue. For this reason, the development of biomaterials to repair the bladder by promoting the adhesion and growth of urothelial cells is of interest. With this aim, a modified copolyester of biocompatible and biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(HB-co-HV)] was used as scaffold for porcine urothelial cell culture. In addition to good biocompatibility, the surface of P(HB-co-HV) substrates was modified to provide both, higher hydrophilicity and a better interaction with urothelial cells. Chemical treatments with ethylenediamine (ED) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) led to substrate surfaces with decreasing hydrophobicity and provided functional groups that enable the grafting of bioactive molecules, such as a laminin derived YIGSR sequence. Physico-chemical properties of modified substrates were studied and compared with those of the pristine P(HB-co-HV). Urothelial cell morphology on treated substrates was studied. The results showed that focal attachment and cell-related properties were improved for peptide grafted polymer compared with both, the unmodified and functionalized copolyester.

Bioactive surface modification on amide-photografted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

Collagen was chemically immobilized on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) films via hydrophilic polyacrylamide spacers, aiming to establish the bioactive surface and the inner surface models. The inner surface modified films presented higher wettability than the surface modified films. Wide-angle x-ray diffraction results showed that the d-spacing values of the inner surface model increased compared with those of the surface model, but there was no significant difference between the amide- and collagen-modified PHBV films. The peak melting temperatures of PHBV and the special endotherm around 70 °C were following the order: PHBV > amide-modified PHBV > collagen-modified PHBV. The weight loss of the collagen-modified PHBV (inner surface model) might involve hydrolyzation and mineralization during 360 days of incubation, with a maximum value of 18.24%, while PHBV films did not show significant weight loss. The pH value of the degradation fluids fluctuated in the range of 6.86-7.22, as the initial pH was recorded at 7.20. Based on the surface model, collagen-modified PHBV scaffolds were prepared, which enhanced chondrocyte adhesion and spread on the biomimetic surface. Two surface modification models might develop a protocol with a view to generating a biocompatible and biomechanical scaffold for use in meniscus regeneration.