Development of electrospun electroactive polyurethane membranes for bone repairing

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Bone regeneration requires a suitable micro-environment, often mimicked by natural periosteum.
• Developing electroactive materials can provide bioelectric cues for enhanced tissue healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize electroactive polyurethanes (PUAT) and fabricate them into fibrous membranes.
• To create a simulated bioelectric micro-environment for bone regeneration.
• To investigate the potential of PUAT membranes as guided bone tissue regeneration membranes (GBRMs).

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of electroactive polyurethanes (PUAT) using amino-capped aniline trimers (AT) and lysine derivatives.
• Fabrication of PUAT fibrous membranes via electrospinning.
• Characterization using UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV).
• In vitro degradation studies and mechanical property testing (tensile strength, Young's modulus).
• Assessment of rat mesenchymal stem cell (rMSC) attachment, proliferation, and protein expression (OCN, CD31, VEGF).

Main Results:

• PUAT fibrous membranes exhibited good electroactivity.
• Introduction of AT improved hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and reduced degradation rate.
• Mechanical strength (tensile strength and Young's modulus) increased with AT content.
• Enhanced rMSC attachment and proliferation on PUAT fibers.
• Increased expression of OCN, CD31, and VEGF with higher AT content.

Conclusions:

• Electroactive polyurethane fibrous membranes mimicking natural periosteum were successfully fabricated.
• The developed membranes show significant potential for guided bone tissue regeneration applications.
• The incorporation of AT positively influences material properties and cellular responses crucial for bone healing.