Novel Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Calcium Alginate Scaffolds for Skin Tissue Engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Skin regeneration remains a significant challenge in medicine.
• Scaffold engineering is crucial for developing effective skin substitutes.
• Biomolecular exchange within scaffolds influences tissue formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, fabricate, and evaluate novel three-dimensional fibrous scaffolds.
• To utilize poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and calcium alginate (CA) for enhanced skin regeneration.
• To investigate the role of calcium leaching in inducing keratinocyte differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of PCL/sodium alginate solutions followed by calcium chloride treatment for ion exchange and crosslinking.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for scaffold morphology analysis (pore size, fiber diameter, alignment, crosslinking).
• Contact angle measurements for hydrophilicity and in vitro cell culture studies with fibroblasts and keratinocytes using differentiation markers.

Main Results:

• Fabricated PCL/CA scaffolds exhibited controlled morphology and increased hydrophilicity.
• Enhanced cell attachment of fibroblasts and keratinocytes was observed.
• Successful differentiation of keratinocytes through basal, spinous, and granular stages was detected, suggesting a favorable biological environment.

Conclusions:

• The developed PCL/CA scaffolds show significant potential for skin tissue engineering.
• Calcium leaching from the scaffolds appears to be a key factor in promoting skin cell proliferation and differentiation.
• These findings suggest a promising new strategy for creating functional skin substitutes.