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Updated: May 7, 2026
Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds with Gradations in Fiber Organization
Published on: April 19, 2015
Stem cell differentiation on electrospun nanofibrous substrates for vascular tissue engineering.
Lin Jia1, Molamma P Prabhakaran, Xiaohong Qin
1Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, No. 2999 North Renmin Road, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China; Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-14, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576, Singapore.
Poly-L-lactide/collagen nanofibers promote bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell proliferation and differentiation into vascular cells, showing promise for vascular tissue regeneration applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanotechnology offers engineered materials for vascular tissue regeneration.
- Poly-L-lactide (PLLA) and PLLA/collagen (PLLA/Coll) nanofibers were fabricated for this study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for vascular cell differentiation on electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibrous scaffolds.
- To evaluate the suitability of these scaffolds for vascular regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PLLA and PLLA/Coll nanofibers via electrospinning.
- Characterization using SEM, ATR-FTIR, and tensile testing.
- In vitro culture of MSCs on scaffolds with endothelial differentiation media.
Main Results:
- MSC proliferation on PLLA/Coll(1:1) scaffolds was 256% higher than on PLLA scaffolds.
- SEM revealed MSCs differentiated into endothelial cells with cobblestone morphology on PLLA/Coll scaffolds.
- Immunocytochemistry confirmed expression of endothelial markers (CD31, vWF) in differentiated MSCs.
Conclusions:
- Electrospun PLLA/Coll nanofibers mimic the vascular extracellular matrix.
- These nanofibers show promise as substrates for vascular regeneration.
