Biodegradable and Bioactive PCL-PGS Core-Shell Fibers for Tissue Engineering

Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) has increasingly become a desirable biomaterial due to its elastic mechanical properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Here, we report microfibrous core-shell mats of polycaprolactone (PCL)-PGS prepared using wet-wet coaxial electrospinning. The anticoagulant heparin was immobilized onto the surface of these electrospun fiber mats, and they were evaluated for their chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. The core-shell structure of PCL-PGS provided tunable degradation and mechanical properties. The slowly degrading PCL provided structural integrity, and the fast degrading PGS component increased fiber elasticity. Young's modulus of PCL-PGS ranged from 5.6 to 15.7 MPa. The ultimate tensile stress ranged from 2.0 to 2.9 MPa, and these fibers showed elongation from 290 to 900%. The addition of PGS and grafting of heparin improved the attachment and proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Core-shell PCL-PGS fibers demonstrate improved performance as three-dimensional fibrous mats for potential tissue-engineering applications.