Electrospun PDLLA/PLGA composite membranes for potential application in guided tissue regeneration

With the aim to explore a membrane system with appropriate degradation rate and excellent cell-occlusiveness for guided tissue regeneration (GTR), a series of poly(D, L-lactic acid) (PDLLA)/poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) (100/0, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, 0/100, w/w) composite membranes were fabricated via electrospinning. The fabricated membranes were evaluated by morphological characterization, water contact angle measurement and tensile test. In vitro degradation was characterized in terms of the weight loss and the morphological change. Moreover, in vitro cytologic research revealed that PDLLA/PLGA composite membranes could efficiently inhibit the infiltration of 293 T cells. Finally, subcutaneous implant test on SD rat in vivo showed that PDLLA/PLGA (70/30, 50/50) composite membranes could function well as a physical barrier to prevent cellular infiltration within 13 weeks. These results suggested that electrospun PDLLA/PLGA (50/50) composite membranes could serve as a promising barrier membrane for guided tissue regeneration due to suitable biodegradability, preferable mechanical properties and excellent cellular shielding effects.