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Electrospinning 3D bioactive glasses for wound healing.
Elizabeth Norris1, Carolina Ramos-Rivera2, Gowsihan Poologasundarampillai3
1Department of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
Biomedical Materials (Bristol, England)
|November 21, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed novel 3D bioactive glass scaffolds for wound healing using electrospinning. These silica-calcium scaffolds, influenced by factors like humidity, promote significant vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in human cells.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Chemistry
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) bioactive glass fibrous scaffolds are crucial for wound healing applications.
- Previous research suggested calcium nitrate was essential for producing 3D cotton wool-like structures in sol-gel systems.
- The role of Ca2+ and its electronic charge in influencing sol-gel structure was considered significant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the production of 3D bioactive glass fibrous scaffolds using electrospinning.
- To explore the influence of composition, including silica-only formulations, on scaffold morphology.
- To evaluate the biological response of human dermal fibroblasts to the developed scaffolds.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of SiO2-CaO sol-gel systems with a polymer binding agent.
- Calcination to remove the polymer and form the bioactive glass network.
- Analysis of fiber morphology and assessment of cell proliferation, metabolic activity, and VEGF production (VEGF ELISA) upon exposure to dissolution products.
Main Results:
- Successfully produced 3D fibrous scaffolds from SiO2-CaO compositions, and notably, from silica-only compositions.
- Demonstrated that factors beyond Ca2+, such as relative humidity, significantly influence the formation of the 3D cotton-wool-like macrostructure.
- Observed a significant increase in VEGF production in human dermal fibroblasts exposed to the bioactive glass dissolution products compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- A novel SiO2-CaO nanofibrous scaffold was created with tailorable physical and dissolution properties.
- The study highlights the importance of controlling composition and environmental factors (e.g., humidity) in scaffold fabrication.
- The developed scaffolds show promise for wound healing due to their ability to stimulate VEGF production.
