Partially degradable film/fabric composites: textile scaffolds for liver cell culture

In this study, a composite scaffold combining textile superstructures and biomimetic glycopolymers is introduced, which may allow engineering of organotypic liver tissue in vitro. Woven poly(ethylene therephtalat) (PET) fabrics were coated on one side with a thin biodegradable polymer film (poly[D-L-lactic-co-glycolic acid] PLGA), in order to obtain a polar structure. The composite structure ensured the stability of the membrane during in vitro degradation, independently of mesh size. Matrix porosity increased when a polymer blend matrix was used. For hepatocyte culturing studies, the scaffolds were additionally coated with an artificial glycopolymer (poly[N-p-vinylbenzyl-D-lactoamide], PVLA) in order to improve cell attachment. It was observed that formation of aggregates depends on the scaffold geometry as well as on the pretreatment and medium conditions. After 4 days in culture, the pores of the fabric were filled with aggregates illustrating the possibility of immobilizing hepatocyte aggregates in well-defined spatial configurations on textile structures.