Development of biodegradable electrospun scaffolds for dermal replacement

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Developing synthetic biodegradable dermal substitutes is crucial for skin and oral mucosa tissue engineering.
• Scaffolds must facilitate cell infiltration, vascularization, and remodeling without causing inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate electrospun polymer scaffolds for their suitability as biodegradable dermal substitutes.
• To assess scaffold biocompatibility, degradation rates, and cellular support in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods:

• Six electrospun polymer scaffolds were fabricated: poly-l-lactide (PLLA) and poly(d,l)-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) copolymers (85:15, 75:25, 50:50).
• Scaffolds were evaluated for in vitro degradation (up to 108 days) and in vivo biocompatibility and degradation in rats (4 weeks to 12 months).
• In vitro cell culture assessed support for keratinocyte, fibroblast, and endothelial cell growth and extracellular matrix production.

Main Results:

• All scaffolds allowed good cellular penetration and showed no adverse inflammatory responses in vivo.
• In vitro and in vivo degradation rates correlated with polyglycolide content; PLLA was stable, while PLGA 85:15 and 75:25 showed significant mass loss.
• PLGA 85:15 and 75:25 scaffolds supported cell growth and new collagen production within 7 days.

Conclusions:

• Poly(d,l)-lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA) 85:15 and 75:25 electrospun scaffolds are promising biodegradable biomaterials for dermal replacement.
• These PLGA scaffolds demonstrate suitable degradation profiles and biocompatibility for tissue engineering applications.
• Further development of these PLGA scaffolds could lead to effective synthetic skin substitutes.