Evaluation of Sterilization/Disinfection Methods of Fibrous Polyurethane Scaffolds Designed for Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

Sterilization of a material carries the risk of unwanted changes in physical and chemical structure. The choice of method is a challenge—the process must be efficient, without significantly changing the properties of the material. In the presented studies, we analyzed the effect of selected sterilization/disinfection techniques on the properties of nanofibrous polyurethane biomaterial. Both radiation techniques (UV, gamma, e-beam) and 20 minutes’ contact with 70% EtOH were shown not to achieve 100% sterilization efficiency. The agar diffusion test showed higher sterilization efficiency when using an antimicrobial solution (AMS). At the same time, none of the analyzed techniques significantly altered the morphology and distribution of fiber diameters. EtOH and e-beam sterilization resulted in a significant reduction in material porosity together with an increase in the Young’s modulus. Similarly, AMS sterilization increased the value of Young’s modulus. In most cases, the viability of cells cultured in contact with the sterilized materials was not affected by the sterilization process. Only for UV sterilization, cell viability was significantly lower and reached about 70% of control after 72 h of culture.

Porcine Small Intestinal Submucosa (SIS) as a Suitable Scaffold for the Creation of a Tissue-Engineered Urinary Conduit: Decellularization, Biomechanical and Biocompatibility Characterization Using New Approaches

“…The ideal scaffold should have the desired properties and should positively interact with cells, including the ability to enhance cell adhesion, growth, migration, and differentiated function [ 97 ]. The sterilization procedure consists of the elimination of all forms of living organisms (bacteria, viruses, and yeasts), which can be found in the scaffold, without provoking undesirable changes in the physical and chemical properties of the sterilized material [ 98 , 99 ]. Commonly used sterilization techniques include chemical treatment (ethanol, ethylene oxide), antibiotic treatment, irradiation techniques (ultraviolet irradiation, gamma, and electron beam irradiation), and heat treatment, which have specific advantages and drawbacks.…”

Cylindrical Polyurethane Scaffold Fabricated Using the Phase Inversion Method: Influence of Process Parameters on Scaffolds’ Morphology and Mechanical Properties

“…For some polymers, such as ChronoFlex, the selection of such a solvent is difficult. Our group also conducted research on the production of fibrous structures from ChronoFlex using the solution blow spinning (SBS) technique [ 51 , 52 ]. The only solvent that made it possible to obtain fibers using this method was 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP).…”

Cellulose Acetate Nanofibers: Incorporating Hydroxyapatite (HA), HA/Berberine or HA/Moghat Composites, as Scaffolds to Enhance In Vitro Osteoporotic Bone Regeneration

“…The selected fibers samples: CA13, CA13/HA50, CA13/HA/BER100, and CA13/HA/ME100 (circular disc; w 5 mm in diameter) were plated in 96-well cell culture plate and exposed to a UV lamp for 1 h in both scaffold sides. Then, 200 μL of CM were added to the scaffolds for 24 h to insure complete sterilization [ 46 ].…”