Biomimetic, Suturable, and Extensible Electrospun Scaffolds for Lower Urinary Tract Surgical Reconstruction

Common autologous tissue sources used for the repair or replacement of lower urinary tract (LUT) organs include the inner cheek (buccal), small and large bowels, and foreskin. These sources have limited availability, introduce the risk of donor site complications, and differ mechanically and biologically from LUT tissue. To address this, fibrous composite scaffolds with varying ratios of two naturally derived polymers-gelatin methacryloyl and an elastin-like peptide-are fabricated via electrospinning and photo-crosslinking. Among the tested ratios, 5:5% (w/v) elastin-like peptide-gelatin methacryloyl (5E5G) fibrous scaffolds are suturable and most closely replicate LUT tissue, exhibiting a tensile modulus of 25.6 ± 4.77 kPa, an ultimate tensile strength of 41 ± 6.68 kPa, and an elongation of 167.4% ± 5.41%. Furthermore, the 5E5G scaffold exhibits a mean degradation exceeding 50% after 21 days in 37 °C Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline. In vitro, smooth muscle and fibroblast proliferation is robust on both 0E10G and 5E5G scaffolds, whereas urothelial cells display lower relative proliferation. In vivo subcutaneous implantation in rats demonstrates biocompatibility and supports tissue ingrowth without local fibrosis or inflammatory responses, similar to a sham injury model. Collectively, 5E5G electrospun scaffolds represent promising substrates for enhancing LUT tissue regeneration.