Development of Biofunctionalized Cellulose Acetate Nanoscaffolds for Heart Valve Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Currently-used mechanical and biological heart valve prostheses have a satisfactory short-term performance, but may exhibit several major drawbacks on the long-term. Mechanical prostheses, based on carbon, metallic and polymeric components, require permanent anticoagulation treatment, and their usage often leads to adverse reactions, e.g. thromboembolic complications and endocarditis. In recent years, there is a need for a heart valve prosthesis that can grow, repair and remodel. The concept of tissue engineering offers good prospects into the development of such a device. An ideal scaffold should mimic the structural and purposeful profile of materials found in the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture. The goal of this study was to develop cellulose acetate scaffolds (CA) for valve tissue regeneration. After their thorough physicochemical and biological characterization, a biofunctionalization process was made to increase the cell proliferation. Especially, the surface of scaffolds was amplified with functional molecules, such as RGD peptides (Arg-Gly-Asp) and YIGSRG laminins (Tyrosine-Isoleucine-Glycine-Serine-Arginine-Glycine) which immobilized through biotin-streptavidin bond, the strongest non-covalent bond in nature. Last step was to successfully coat an aortic metallic valve with CA biofunctionallized nanoscaffolds and cultivate cells in order to create an anatomical structure comparable to the native valve. Promising results have been obtained with CA-based nanoscaffolds. We found that cells grown successfully on the biofunctionalized valve surface thereby scaffolds that resemble the native tissues, elaborated with bioactive factors such as RGD peptides and laminins not only make the valve's surface biocompatible but also they could promote endothyliazation of cardiac valves causing an anti-coagulant effect.

Cellulose‐Based Biomaterials: Chemistry and Biomedical Applications

“…[25] It's well known that the native cotton fibers are used as conventional wound dressing materials since ancient times. [88] Cotton is used as a template for the biomaterials which are loaded with desirable features such as antimicrobial and nonadhesion properties as well as accelerated healing materials like glycogen, collagen, and gelatin. [25] The wound is multi diversity, cuttings, burns, ulcers, and diabetes in which each cellulosic biomaterial is suitable according to wound type.…”

Electrospun Nanocomposites Containing Cellulose and Its Derivatives Modified with Specialized Biomolecules for an Enhanced Wound Healing

“…Interestingly, CA has also been proven as an effective material for tissue scaffold engineering, providing good mechanical stability, and ability to mimic the extracellular matrix for cell attachment, growth, and advanced formation of targeted tissues (e.g., bones and skin) [100]. Chainoglou et al has even demonstrated the possibilities of CA for heart valve tissue engineering, through a successful promotion of cardiac cell growth and proliferation [101]. Each one of these applications is dependent on their overall properties, which, in turn, are dependent on the polymer chemical characteristics, such as molar mass, molar mass distribution, DP, and degree of substitution (DS) [102].…”

Versatile Biomaterial Platform Enriched with Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotubes for Multiple Tissue Engineering Applications

“…Cellulose acetate (CA), perhaps the most commercially appealing ester derivative of cellulose, is characterized by fine molecular arrangement, low toxicity properties but poor structural stability, and mechanical strength [30]. CA can be cost-effectively processed into practical designs such as fibers, films, porous bulks, and most commonly for the synthesis of cost-effective asymmetric membranes [31]. CA’s long-established exercise in industry undermined its potential for advanced application and only recently surfaced as an auspicious material for tissue engineering substrates.…”

“…Electrospun blends of CA were validated as remarkable wound dressing constituents with low-adherence and high healing support considering cell proliferation and collagen extracellular matrices deposition [32]. CA has been investigated for artificial blood vessels [33], skin grafts [34] and heart valve tissue engineering [31].…”