A double-layer PLGA/CoI-MeHA tissue engineering scaffold for urethral reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Urology

Background:

• Urethral stricture, often caused by injury, leads to severe complications like bladder stones and renal failure.
• Current surgical treatments for urethral stricture have high recurrence rates.
• Reconstructing the urethra with autologous tissue is challenging for long-term stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and prepare a double-layer tissue engineering scaffold for urethral regeneration.
• To simulate natural urethral anatomy for improved tissue reconstruction.
• To address urethral stricture and hypospadias using advanced biomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning and light curing technologies were employed to create the scaffold.
• A double-layer scaffold composed of PLGA/CoI electrospun membrane and MeHA hydrogel was developed.
• The scaffold was loaded with rabbit urethral smooth muscle and epithelial cells.

Main Results:

• A PLGA/CoI-MeHA bilayer scaffold was successfully prepared.
• The scaffold demonstrated sufficient mechanical strength and satisfactory biocompatibility.
• Effective urethral defect repair and reconstruction were achieved in rabbit models.

Conclusions:

• The developed double-layer scaffold successfully simulates urethral anatomy.
• The scaffold exhibits good mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and degradation characteristics.
• This tissue engineering scaffold shows significant promise for urethral reconstruction in clinical settings.