Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application

A special issue of Journal of Functional Biomaterials (ISSN 2079-4983). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2021) | Viewed by 41955

Special Issue Editor

Department of Materials Engineering, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina, Brazil
Interests: biomaterials; tissue engineering; biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo assays polymers; bioceramics; metal alloys; spinning techniques; plasma etching; atomic layer deposition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that involves the use of a tissue scaffold for the formation of new viable tissue for a medical purpose. With the development of nanotechnology, surface modification technology, and composite synthesis technology, our ability to control scaffolding materials has improved and become more precise. Research on mimic extracellular matrices (ECM) and the formation of artificial extracellular matrices which are suitable for tissue formation has become a hotspot.

Due to the high surface to volume ratio and similar structural morphology to the fibrillate ECM, fibrous scaffolds are believed to enhance cell adhesion, which is very critically important for cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue focusing on materials, processing techniques, computer modeling, and simulation and in vitro/in vivo applications of fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Anderson Oliveira Lobo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Biomimetic structures
  • Extracellular matrices
  • Spinning techniques
  • Microfiber
  • Nanofiber
  • Mimicking geometries

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (9 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

11 pages, 3282 KiB  
Article
Survival and Proliferation under Severely Hypoxic Microenvironments Using Cell-Laden Oxygenating Hydrogels
by Shabir Hassan, Berivan Cecen, Ramon Peña-Garcia, Fernanda Roberta Marciano, Amir K. Miri, Ali Fattahi, Christina Karavasili, Shikha Sebastian, Hamza Zaidi and Anderson Oliveira Lobo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(2), 30; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb12020030 - 02 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3454
Abstract
Different strategies have been employed to provide adequate nutrients for engineered living tissues. These have mainly revolved around providing oxygen to alleviate the effects of chronic hypoxia or anoxia that result in necrosis or weak neovascularization, leading to failure of artificial tissue implants [...] Read more.
Different strategies have been employed to provide adequate nutrients for engineered living tissues. These have mainly revolved around providing oxygen to alleviate the effects of chronic hypoxia or anoxia that result in necrosis or weak neovascularization, leading to failure of artificial tissue implants and hence poor clinical outcome. While different biomaterials have been used as oxygen generators for in vitro as well as in vivo applications, certain problems have hampered their wide application. Among these are the generation and the rate at which oxygen is produced together with the production of the reaction intermediates in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both these factors can be detrimental for cell survival and can severely affect the outcome of such studies. Here we present calcium peroxide (CPO) encapsulated in polycaprolactone as oxygen releasing microparticles (OMPs). While CPO releases oxygen upon hydrolysis, PCL encapsulation ensures that hydrolysis takes place slowly, thereby sustaining prolonged release of oxygen without the stress the bulk release can endow on the encapsulated cells. We used gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels containing these OMPs to stimulate survival and proliferation of encapsulated skeletal myoblasts and optimized the OMP concentration for sustained oxygen delivery over more than a week. The oxygen releasing and delivery platform described in this study opens up opportunities for cell-based therapeutic approaches to treat diseases resulting from ischemic conditions and enhance survival of implants under severe hypoxic conditions for successful clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 4134 KiB  
Article
Mechanical and Degradation Properties of Hybrid Scaffolds for Tissue Engineered Heart Valve (TEHV)
by Rabia Nazir, Arne Bruyneel, Carolyn Carr and Jan Czernuszka
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 20; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb12010020 - 09 Mar 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3445
Abstract
In addition to biocompatibility, an ideal scaffold for the regeneration of valvular tissue should also replicate the natural heart valve extracellular matrix (ECM) in terms of biomechanical properties and structural stability. In our previous paper, we demonstrated the development of collagen type I [...] Read more.
In addition to biocompatibility, an ideal scaffold for the regeneration of valvular tissue should also replicate the natural heart valve extracellular matrix (ECM) in terms of biomechanical properties and structural stability. In our previous paper, we demonstrated the development of collagen type I and hyaluronic acid (HA)-based scaffolds with interlaced microstructure. Such hybrid scaffolds were found to be compatible with cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) to potentially regenerate the diseased aortic heart valve. This paper focused on the quantification of the effect of crosslinking density on the mechanical properties under dry and wet conditions as well as degradation resistance. Elastic moduli increased with increasing crosslinking densities, in the dry and wet state, for parent networks, whereas those of interlaced scaffolds were higher than either network alone. Compressive and storage moduli ranged from 35 ± 5 to 95 ± 5 kPa and 16 ± 2 kPa to 113 ± 6 kPa, respectively, in the dry state. Storage moduli, in the dry state, matched and exceeded those of human aortic valve leaflets (HAVL). Similarly, degradation resistance increased with increasing the crosslinking densities for collagen-only and HA-only scaffolds. Interlaced scaffolds showed partial degradation in the presence of either collagenase or hyaluronidase as compared to when exposed to both enzymes together. These results agree with our previous findings that interlaced scaffolds were composed of independent collagen and HA networks without crosslinking between them. Thus, collagen/HA interlaced scaffolds have the potential to fill in the niche for designing an ideal tissue engineered heart valve (TEHV). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 6931 KiB  
Article
Effects of Process Parameters on Structure and Properties of Melt-Blown Poly(Lactic Acid) Nonwovens for Skin Regeneration
by Ewa Dzierzkowska, Anna Scisłowska-Czarnecka, Marcin Kudzin, Maciej Boguń, Piotr Szatkowski, Marcin Gajek, Kamil Kornaus, Magdalena Chadzinska and Ewa Stodolak-Zych
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 16; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb12010016 - 26 Feb 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
Skin regeneration requires a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for cell adhesion, growth and proliferation. A type of the scaffold offering a 3D structure is a nonwoven material produced via a melt-blown technique. Process parameters of this technique can be adapted to improve the cellular [...] Read more.
Skin regeneration requires a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for cell adhesion, growth and proliferation. A type of the scaffold offering a 3D structure is a nonwoven material produced via a melt-blown technique. Process parameters of this technique can be adapted to improve the cellular response. Polylactic acid (PLA) was used to produce a nonwoven scaffold by a melt-blown technique. The key process parameters, i.e., the head and air temperature, were changed in the range from 180–270 °C to obtain eight different materials (MB1–MB8). The relationships between the process parameters, morphology, porosity, thermal properties and the cellular response were explored in this study. The mean fiber diameters ranged from 3 to 120 µm. The average material roughness values were between 47 and 160 µm, whereas the pore diameters ranged from 5 to 400 µm. The calorimetry thermograms revealed a correlation between the temperature parameters and crystallization. The response of keratinocytes and macrophages exhibited a higher cell viability on thicker fibers. The cell-scaffold interaction was observed via SEM after 7 days. This result proved that the features of melt-blown nonwoven scaffolds depended on the processing parameters, such as head temperature and air temperature. Thanks to examinations, the most suitable scaffolds for skin tissue regeneration were selected. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 12247 KiB  
Article
Electrospun Poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate)/Nano-hyDroxyapatite/Graphene Nanoribbon Scaffolds Improved the In Vivo Osteogenesis of the Neoformed Bone
by Luana Marotta Reis Vasconcellos, Gabriela F. Santana-Melo, Edmundo Silva, Vanessa Fernandes Pereira, Juliani Caroline Ribeiro Araújo, André Diniz Rosa Silva, André S. A. Furtado, Conceição de Maria Vaz Elias, Bartolomeu Cruz Viana, Fernanda Roberta Marciano and Anderson Oliveira Lobo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 11; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb12010011 - 05 Feb 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2751
Abstract
Electrospun ultrathin fibrous scaffold filed with synthetic nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) and graphene nanoribbons (GNR) has bioactive and osteoconductive properties and is a plausible strategy to improve bone regeneration. Poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has been studied as fibrous scaffolds due to its low crystallinity, faster biodegradability, and [...] Read more.
Electrospun ultrathin fibrous scaffold filed with synthetic nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) and graphene nanoribbons (GNR) has bioactive and osteoconductive properties and is a plausible strategy to improve bone regeneration. Poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has been studied as fibrous scaffolds due to its low crystallinity, faster biodegradability, and good mechanical properties; however, its potential for in vivo applications remains underexplored. We proposed the application of electrospun PBAT with high contents of incorporated nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles as bone grafts. Ultrathin PBAT, PBAT/nHAp, and PBAT/nHAp/GNR fibers were produced using an electrospinning apparatus. The produced fibers were characterized morphologically and structurally using scanning electron (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron (TEM) microscopies, respectively. Mechanical properties were analyzed using a texturometer. All scaffolds were implanted into critical tibia defects in rats and analyzed after two weeks using radiography, microcomputed tomography, histological, histomorphometric, and biomechanical analyses. The results showed through SEM and high-resolution TEM characterized the average diameters of the fibers (ranged from 0.208 µm ± 0.035 to 0.388 µm ± 0.087) and nHAp (crystallite around 0.28, 0.34, and 0.69 nm) and nHAp/GNR (200–300 nm) nanoparticles distribution into PBAT matrices. Ultrathin fibers were obtained, and the incorporated nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles were well distributed into PBAT matrices. The addition of nHAp and nHAp/GNR nanoparticles improved the elastic modulus of the ultrathin fibers compared to neat PBAT. High loads of nHAp/GNR (PBATnH5G group) improved the in vivo lamellar bone formation promoting greater radiographic density, trabecular number and stiffness in the defect area 2 weeks after implantation than control and PBAT groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3330 KiB  
Article
Development of Scaffolds with Adjusted Stiffness for Mimicking Disease-Related Alterations of Liver Rigidity
by Marc Ruoß, Silas Rebholz, Marina Weimer, Carl Grom-Baumgarten, Kiriaki Athanasopulu, Ralf Kemkemer, Hanno Käß, Sabrina Ehnert and Andreas K. Nussler
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 17; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb11010017 - 14 Mar 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4748
Abstract
Drug-induced liver toxicity is one of the most common reasons for the failure of drugs in clinical trials and frequent withdrawal from the market. Reasons for such failures include the low predictive power of in vivo studies, that is mainly caused by metabolic [...] Read more.
Drug-induced liver toxicity is one of the most common reasons for the failure of drugs in clinical trials and frequent withdrawal from the market. Reasons for such failures include the low predictive power of in vivo studies, that is mainly caused by metabolic differences between humans and animals, and intraspecific variances. In addition to factors such as age and genetic background, changes in drug metabolism can also be caused by disease-related changes in the liver. Such metabolic changes have also been observed in clinical settings, for example, in association with a change in liver stiffness, a major characteristic of an altered fibrotic liver. For mimicking these changes in an in vitro model, this study aimed to develop scaffolds that represent the rigidity of healthy and fibrotic liver tissue. We observed that liver cells plated on scaffolds representing the stiffness of healthy livers showed a higher metabolic activity compared to cells plated on stiffer scaffolds. Additionally, we detected a positive effect of a scaffold pre-coated with fetal calf serum (FCS)-containing media. This pre-incubation resulted in increased cell adherence during cell seeding onto the scaffolds. In summary, we developed a scaffold-based 3D model that mimics liver stiffness-dependent changes in drug metabolism that may more easily predict drug interaction in diseased livers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 4616 KiB  
Communication
Printing 3D Hydrogel Structures Employing Low-Cost Stereolithography Technology
by Leila Samara S. M. Magalhães, Francisco Eroni Paz Santos, Conceição de Maria Vaz Elias, Samson Afewerki, Gustavo F. Sousa, Andre S. A. Furtado, Fernanda Roberta Marciano and Anderson Oliveira Lobo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 12; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb11010012 - 22 Feb 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6575
Abstract
Stereolithography technology associated with the employment of photocrosslinkable, biocompatible, and bioactive hydrogels have been widely used. This method enables 3D microfabrication from images created by computer programs and allows researchers to design various complex models for tissue engineering applications. This study presents a [...] Read more.
Stereolithography technology associated with the employment of photocrosslinkable, biocompatible, and bioactive hydrogels have been widely used. This method enables 3D microfabrication from images created by computer programs and allows researchers to design various complex models for tissue engineering applications. This study presents a simple and fast home-made stereolithography system developed to print layer-by-layer structures. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels were employed as the photocrosslinkable polymers in various concentrations. Three-dimensional (3D) constructions were obtained by using the stereolithography technique assembled from a commercial projector, which emphasizes the low cost and efficiency of the technique. Lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl phosphonate (LAP) was used as a photoinitiator, and a 404 nm laser source was used to promote the crosslinking. Three-dimensional and vascularized structures with more than 5 layers and resolutions between 42 and 83 µm were printed. The 3D printed complex structures highlight the potential of this low-cost stereolithography technique as a great tool in tissue engineering studies, as an alternative to bioprint miniaturized models, simulate vital and pathological functions, and even for analyzing the actions of drugs in the human body. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 2266 KiB  
Review
Bioactive Polymeric Materials for the Advancement of Regenerative Medicine
by Anthony Iovene, Yuwen Zhao, Shue Wang and Kagya Amoako
J. Funct. Biomater. 2021, 12(1), 14; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb12010014 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4307
Abstract
Biopolymers are widely accepted natural materials in regenerative medicine, and further development of their bioactivities and discoveries on their composition/function relationships could greatly advance the field. However, a concise insight on commonly investigated biopolymers, their current applications and outlook of their modifications for [...] Read more.
Biopolymers are widely accepted natural materials in regenerative medicine, and further development of their bioactivities and discoveries on their composition/function relationships could greatly advance the field. However, a concise insight on commonly investigated biopolymers, their current applications and outlook of their modifications for multibioactivity are scarce. This review bridges this gap for professionals and especially freshmen in the field who are also interested in modification methods not yet in commercial use. A series of polymeric materials in research and development uses are presented as well as challenges that limit their efficacy in tissue regeneration are discussed. Finally, their roles in the regeneration of select tissues including the skin, bone, cartilage, and tendon are highlighted along with modifiable biopolymer moieties for different bioactivities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

41 pages, 5366 KiB  
Review
On the Interaction between 1D Materials and Living Cells
by Giuseppe Arrabito, Yana Aleeva, Vittorio Ferrara, Giuseppe Prestopino, Clara Chiappara and Bruno Pignataro
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(2), 40; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb11020040 - 10 Jun 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4020
Abstract
One-dimensional (1D) materials allow for cutting-edge applications in biology, such as single-cell bioelectronics investigations, stimulation of the cellular membrane or the cytosol, cellular capture, tissue regeneration, antibacterial action, traction force investigation, and cellular lysis among others. The extraordinary development of this research field [...] Read more.
One-dimensional (1D) materials allow for cutting-edge applications in biology, such as single-cell bioelectronics investigations, stimulation of the cellular membrane or the cytosol, cellular capture, tissue regeneration, antibacterial action, traction force investigation, and cellular lysis among others. The extraordinary development of this research field in the last ten years has been promoted by the possibility to engineer new classes of biointerfaces that integrate 1D materials as tools to trigger reconfigurable stimuli/probes at the sub-cellular resolution, mimicking the in vivo protein fibres organization of the extracellular matrix. After a brief overview of the theoretical models relevant for a quantitative description of the 1D material/cell interface, this work offers an unprecedented review of 1D nano- and microscale materials (inorganic, organic, biomolecular) explored so far in this vibrant research field, highlighting their emerging biological applications. The correlation between each 1D material chemistry and the resulting biological response is investigated, allowing to emphasize the advantages and the issues that each class presents. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

26 pages, 3387 KiB  
Review
Fabrication of Polymeric Microparticles by Electrospray: The Impact of Experimental Parameters
by Alan Í. S. Morais, Ewerton G. Vieira, Samson Afewerki, Ricardo B. Sousa, Luzia M. C. Honorio, Anallyne N. C. O. Cambrussi, Jailson A. Santos, Roosevelt D. S. Bezerra, Josy A. O. Furtini, Edson C. Silva-Filho, Thomas J. Webster and Anderson O. Lobo
J. Funct. Biomater. 2020, 11(1), 4; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jfb11010004 - 15 Jan 2020
Cited by 60 | Viewed by 8242
Abstract
Microparticles (MPs) with controlled morphologies and sizes have been investigated by several researchers due to their importance in pharmaceutical, ceramic, cosmetic, and food industries to just name a few. In particular, the electrospray (ES) technique has been shown to be a viable alternative [...] Read more.
Microparticles (MPs) with controlled morphologies and sizes have been investigated by several researchers due to their importance in pharmaceutical, ceramic, cosmetic, and food industries to just name a few. In particular, the electrospray (ES) technique has been shown to be a viable alternative for the development of single particles with different dimensions, multiple layers, and varied morphologies. In order to adjust these properties, it is necessary to optimize different experimental parameters, such as polymer solvent, voltage, flow rate (FR), type of collectors, and distance between the collector and needle tip, which will all be highlighted in this review. Moreover, the influence and contributions of each of these parameters on the design and fabrication of polymeric MPs are described. In addition, the most common configurations of ES systems for this purpose are discussed, for instance, the main configuration of an ES system with monoaxial, coaxial, triaxial, and multi-capillary delivery. Finally, the main types of collectors employed, types of synthesized MPs and their applications specifically in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields will be emphasized. To date, ES is a promising and versatile technology with numerous excellent applications in the pharmaceutical and biomaterials field and such MPs generated should be employed for the improved treatment of cancer, healing of bone, and other persistent medical problems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Application)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop