Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics Research Group

Papers in Scientific Journals

Biodegradable Nanofibers-Reinforced Microfibrous Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Native bone extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex hierarchical fibrous composite structure, resulting from the assembling of collagen fibrils at several length scales, ranging from the macro to the nanoscale. The combination of nanofibers within microfibers after conventional reinforcement methodologies seems to be a feasible solution to the rational design of highly functional synthetic ECM substitutes. The present work aims at the development of bone ECM inspired structures, conjugating electrospun chitosan (Cht) nanofibers within biodegradable polymeric microfibers [poly(butylene succinate)—PBS and PBS/Cht], assembled in a fiber mesh structure. The nanofibers-reinforced composite fiber mesh scaffolds were seeded with human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and cultured under osteogenic differentiation conditions. These nanofibers-reinforced composite scaffolds sustained ECM deposition and mineralization, mainly in the PBS/Cht-based fiber meshes, as depicted by the increased amount of calcium phosphates produced by the osteogenic differentiated hBMSCs. The oste- ogenic genotype of the cultured hBMSCs was confirmed by the expression of osteoblastic genes, namely Alkaline Phosphatase, Osteopontin, Bone Sialoprotein and Osteocalcin, and the transcription factors Runx2 and Osterix, all involved in different stages of the osteogenesis. These data represent the first report on the biological func- tionality of nanofibers-reinforced composite scaffolds, envisaging the applicability of the developed structures for bone tissue engineering.

Journal
Tissue Engineering: Part A
Volume
16
Issue
12
Pagination
3599-609
Keywords
Bone Tissue Engineering, nanofibers, scaffolds
Rights
Open Access
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Status
published
Year of Publication
2011
Date Published
2011-03-30
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