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Microscale diffusion measurements and simulation of a scaffold with a permeable strut
Seung Youl Lee1, Byung Ryong Lee, Jongwan Lee
1Department of Mechanical System Engineering, Graduate School of Knowledge-Based Technology and Energy, Korea Polytechnic University, Jeongwang-dong, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do 429-793, Korea. songwan@kpu.ac.kr.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|October 25, 2013
Summary
Direct-write electrospinning creates nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering. Oxygen-permeable scaffolds enhance cell growth, reaching 15% deeper confluence compared to non-permeable ones.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Biophysics
Background:
- Electrospun nanofibrous structures are crucial for tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Direct-write electrospinning (DWES) is a technique for fabricating these structures.
- Understanding diffusion properties within scaffolds is vital for cell viability and tissue regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure local diffusion coefficients in DWES-fabricated nanofibrous structures.
- To assess the impact of oxygen permeability on cell growth within patterned scaffolds.
- To compare cell growth depths in scaffolds with permeable versus non-permeable struts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) to measure 3-kDa FITC-dextran diffusion.
- Fabricated DWES line patterns at different polymer flow rates (0.1 and 0.5 mL/h).
- Simulated cell growth and distribution in scaffolds with varying strut permeability.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in diffusion coefficients was found between DWES patterns fabricated at 0.1 and 0.5 mL/h.
- Estimated oxygen diffusion coefficients were 92%-94% of that in water.
- Scaffolds with oxygen-permeable struts showed enhanced cell growth, with 15% deeper saturated growth depths.
Conclusions:
- DWES technique produces consistent nanofibrous structures regardless of flow rate within the tested range.
- Oxygen diffusion within these scaffolds is near that of water, supporting cell needs.
- Spatially patterned scaffolds with oxygen-permeable struts significantly promote deeper cell infiltration and growth, crucial for tissue engineering applications.
