Mechanical properties of electrospun fibrinogen structures

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Fibrin and fibrinogen offer superior cellular interaction and scaffold remodeling compared to synthetic materials in tissue engineering.
• Traditional fibrinogen processing yields scaffolds with inadequate mechanical strength, limiting their application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate that electrospun fibrinogen overcomes mechanical limitations of traditional scaffolds.
• To evaluate electrospun fibrinogen's potential as a tissue engineering scaffold or wound dressing based on mechanical properties.

Main Methods:

• Electrospun fibrinogen scaffolds were fabricated and characterized for fiber diameter and pore size.
• Mechanical properties were tested under dry and hydrated conditions.
• Scaffold degradation was modulated using aprotinin and glutaraldehyde vapor, followed by mechanical testing.

Main Results:

• A linear correlation was observed between fibrinogen concentration and fiber diameter (120-610 nm).
• Pore area ranged from 1.3 to 13 µm² with increasing fibrinogen concentration.
• Aprotinin effectively inhibited degradation, while glutaraldehyde fixation yielded inconsistent mechanical results.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun fibrinogen scaffolds possess favorable mechanical characteristics for tissue engineering applications.
• The study supports the potential of electrospun fibrinogen as a viable scaffold material or wound dressing.
• Further optimization of cross-linking methods may enhance scaffold stability and performance.