No abstract

Connective tissue is a factor of great importance in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because it has a limited life but complicated mechanical properties. In this study, we present a reinforcement method of hydrogel using patterned nanofibers to mimic native connective tissues with selective engagement of load carrying constituents. We incorporated a three-dimensional nanofibrous frame fabricated using direct-write electrospinning with a hydrogel matrix. Three types of nanofiber-reinforced hydrogel composite were fabricated and their dual aspects of mechanical properties for compressive load were identified. It was demonstrated that the constructed composite had sufficient biocompatibility as well as connective tissue-like mechanical properties.

Recently, there has been demand for polymeric porous membranes in various fields, such as environmental engineering, pharmaceutics, tissue engineering, drug delivery, biology, and fuel cells. In this study, it is proposed that a polymer particle-based porous membrane can be fabricated using electrospraying and sintering processes. Electrospraying can fabricate polymeric particles with diameters ranging from several micrometers to tens of nanometers without the cumbersome particle aggregation problem. Additionally, the particles can be sintered through thermo-compression under the glass transition temperature. In this study, a polymethyl methacrylate particle-based porous membrane with an average pore size of less than 500 nm is fabricated using the proposed method.