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The Culture of Primary Motor and Sensory Neurons in Defined Media on Electrospun Poly-L-lactide Nanofiber Scaffolds
Published on: February 15, 2011
Laminin Functionalized Biomimetic Nanofibers For Nerve Tissue Engineering
Radoslaw Junka1, Chandra M Valmikinathan, Dilhan M Kalyon
1Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology and Biomedical Engineering Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, 07030.
Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
|October 2, 2013
Summary
This study developed new biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds for peripheral nerve repair. Functionalizing poly(caprolactone)-chitosan scaffolds with laminin significantly enhanced Schwann cell attachment and proliferation for nerve regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Peripheral nerve injuries with large gaps pose significant regeneration challenges.
- Current treatments lack suitable grafts and efficient cell delivery methods.
- Biomimetic scaffolds functionalized with extracellular matrix proteins offer potential therapeutic solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize novel poly(caprolactone)-chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds.
- To functionalize scaffold surfaces with laminin using carbodiimide crosslinking.
- To evaluate scaffold properties for peripheral nerve tissue engineering.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and chitosan blend nanofibrous scaffolds via electrospinning.
- Surface functionalization of scaffolds with laminin using carbodiimide crosslinking.
- Assessment of scaffold wettability, mechanical properties, Schwann cell attachment, and proliferation.
Main Results:
- PCL-chitosan scaffolds exhibited improved wettability for cell attachment compared to neat PCL.
- Carbodiimide crosslinking enabled higher concentrations of surface-bound laminin.
- Significantly enhanced Schwann cell proliferation was observed on scaffolds with crosslinked laminin.
Conclusions:
- PCL-chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds functionalized with crosslinked laminin show promise for nerve tissue engineering.
- These scaffolds offer improved surface properties and enhanced cell response for peripheral nerve repair.
- The developed scaffolds represent a versatile substrate for in vivo cell delivery applications.
