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Elastomeric PGS Scaffolds in Arterial Tissue Engineering
Published on: April 8, 2011
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Moldable elastomeric polyester-carbon nanotube scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering
Samad Ahadian1, Locke Davenport Huyer2, Mehdi Estili3
1Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Acta Biomaterialia
|December 13, 2016
Summary
This study developed novel polymer-carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering. These scaffolds enhance electrical conductivity and mechanical properties, promoting greater cardiac tissue maturity and earlier beating.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Polymer biomaterials are crucial for tissue engineering scaffolds, providing mechanical support and aiding tissue maturation.
- Native cardiac tissue requires scaffolds with elasticity and high electrical conductivity for effective regeneration.
- Achieving both high elasticity and conductivity in a single material for cardiac tissue engineering is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile method for incorporating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into a poly(octamethylene maleate (anhydride) 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylate) (124 polymer) elastomer.
- To create an elastomeric scaffold with enhanced electrical conductivity and structural integrity for cardiac tissue engineering.
- To evaluate the effect of CNT incorporation on the properties of the polymer scaffolds and the maturation of engineered cardiac tissues.
Main Methods:
- Dispersing CNTs in a porogen and mixing with 124 prepolymer.
- Molding the mixture into desired shapes and crosslinking using ultraviolet light.
- Characterizing the electrical conductivity, mechanical properties (surface and bulk moduli), and swelling behavior of the polymer-CNT composites.
- Assessing the functional performance of engineered cardiac tissues cultured on the scaffolds, including excitation threshold and beating.
Main Results:
- Polymer-CNT materials with 0.5% and 0.1% CNT content exhibited improved electrical conductivity compared to the pristine 124 polymer.
- Increasing CNT content led to increased surface moduli and decreased bulk moduli.
- Hybrid polymer-CNT materials showed increased swelling, indicating improved structural support in aqueous environments.
- Scaffolds with 0.5% CNT content demonstrated a lower excitation threshold (3.6±0.8V/cm) in engineered cardiac tissues, suggesting enhanced tissue maturity and earlier beating compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- The developed polymer-CNT materials offer a versatile biomaterial for cardiac tissue engineering, combining the elasticity of the 124 polymer with enhanced electrical conductivity from CNTs.
- The 0.5% CNT-containing scaffolds significantly improve cardiac tissue maturation and function.
- These polymer-CNT scaffolds hold potential for regenerating other electro-active tissues, such as neural and skeletal muscle tissues.
