Bioactive stem cell-laden 3D nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Tissue engineering requires advanced scaffolds that support cell growth and function.
• Polycaprolactone-collagen (PCL-Coll) nanofibers offer a promising biomaterial base.
• Arnebia euchroma (AE) extract possesses known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel cell-based tissue engineering constructs using AE-loaded PCL-Coll nanoscaffolds.
• To investigate the effect of varying AE extract concentrations on scaffold properties and stem cell behavior.
• To evaluate the potential of these scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PCL-Coll nanoscaffolds with varying concentrations of AE extract (0-15 wt%).
• Characterization of scaffold porosity, fiber diameter, and AE compound immobilization using FE-SEM.
• Assessment of stem cell growth, attachment, viability, stemness gene expression (Nanog, Rex1, Sox2, Oct4, Klf4, C-Myc), and cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress.

Main Results:

• AE-loaded nanoscaffolds maintained high porosity, suitable for cell infiltration.
• Increased AE concentration enhanced stemness gene expression (up to 250% in PCL-Coll/AE15), cell adhesion, and viability (up to 145.5% in PCL-Coll/AE15).
• Scaffolds demonstrated significant cytoprotective effects against oxidative stress, with PCL-Coll/AE15 showing 78.68% relative cell viability.

Conclusions:

• Biomimetic PCL-Coll/AE nanoscaffolds effectively support stem cell viability and proliferation.
• The incorporation of AE extract, particularly at 15 wt%, significantly enhances stemness features and cytoprotection.
• These AE-loaded nanoscaffolds represent a promising platform for advanced tissue engineering applications.