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Elastomeric PGS Scaffolds in Arterial Tissue Engineering
Published on: April 8, 2011
A novel seamless elastic scaffold for vascular tissue engineering.
Sang-Heon Kim1, Eunna Chung, Sang-Hoon Kim
1Biomaterial Research Center, Division of Life Sciences, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, 39-1 Hawolgok-dong, Seongbook-Ku, Seoul 136-791, South Korea.
Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition
|February 25, 2010
Summary
A novel gel-spinning device created strong, seamless vascular scaffolds from poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL). These enhanced scaffolds exhibit superior mechanical properties, offering a promising basis for tissue-engineered vascular grafts.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Current tissue-engineered vascular grafts face limitations due to inadequate mechanical strength.
- Prosthetic vascular grafts often lack the necessary mechanical properties to withstand blood vessel pressure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel gel-spinning molding device for fabricating seamless, double-layered tubular scaffolds.
- To optimize scaffold fabrication for enhanced mechanical properties suitable for vascular grafts.
Main Methods:
- A specialized gel-spinning molding device was designed with three drivers for precise scaffold fabrication.
- Seamless, double-layered tubular scaffolds were created using poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (PLCL) solution and NaCl particles.
- Scaffold optimization involved varying salt content, size, and thickness of the inner porous layer.
Main Results:
- The fabricated scaffolds demonstrated excellent mechanical properties, including burst pressures exceeding 900 mmHg.
- Scaffolds exhibited high elongation-at-break (550-670%) and significant tensile strengths (circumferential: 3.62 MPa, longitudinal: 2.64 MPa).
- Optimal scaffold design featured an inner layer with 30% salts (<20 µm size) and >100 µm thickness, passing blood leakage tests.
Conclusions:
- The developed gel-spinning device successfully produced mechanically robust and elastic tubular scaffolds.
- These scaffolds possess superior properties that address the limitations of current vascular graft materials.
- The findings provide a strong foundation for advancing tissue-engineered vascular graft technology.
