Electrospraying Electrospun Nanofiber Segments into Injectable Microspheres for Potential Cell Delivery.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Injectable and biomimetic nanofiber microspheres are promising for biomedical applications.
• Existing fabrication methods may have limitations in versatility and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for fabricating nanofiber microspheres.
• To explore the potential of these microspheres in cell therapy applications.
• To investigate their ability to support stem cell viability and differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Combining electrospinning and electrospraying techniques.
• Preparing aqueous dispersions of electrospun nanofiber segments.
• Controlling microsphere size and morphology via electrospray parameters.
• Utilizing polymer and bioactive glass nanofibers.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated nanofiber microspheres with controllable size and diverse morphologies (solid, porous, hollow).
• Demonstrated higher cell carrier efficiency for nanofiber microspheres compared to solid microspheres using mesenchymal stem cells.
• Observed in situ formation of microtissue-like structures and neural differentiation of embryonic stem cells on the microspheres.

Conclusions:

• A new, versatile method for generating injectable nanofiber microspheres was established.
• These nanofiber microspheres show enhanced stem cell viability, maintenance, and differentiation potential.
• The developed fabrication technique holds significant promise for advanced cell therapy strategies.