Fabrication of hybrid scaffolds obtained from combinations of PCL with gelatin or collagen via electrospinning for skeletal muscle tissue engineering

Abstract

The creation of skeletal muscle tissue in vitro is a major topic of interest today in the field of biomedical research, due to the lack of treatments for muscle loss due to traumatic accidents or disease. For this reason, the intrinsic properties of nanofibrillar structures to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and cell alignment presents an attractive tool for regenerative medicine to recreate organized tissues such as muscle. Electrospinning is one of the processing techniques often used for the fabrication of these nanofibrous structures and the combination of synthetic and natural polymers is often required to achieve optimal mechanical and physiochemical properties. Here, polycaprolactone (PCL) is selected as a synthetic polymer used for the fabrication of scaffolds, and the effect of protein addition on the final scaffolds' properties is studied. Collagen and gelatin were the proteins selected and two different concentrations were analyzed (2 and 4 wt/vol%). Different PCL/protein systems were prepared, and a structural, mechanical and functional characterization was performed. The influence of fiber alignment on the properties of the final scaffolds was assessed through morphological, mechanical and biological evaluations. A bioreactor was used to promote cell proliferation and differentiation within the scaffolds. The results revealed that protein addition produced a decrease in the fiber size of the membranes, an increase in their hydrophilicity, and a softening of their mechanical properties. The biological study showed the ability of the selected systems to harbor cells, allow their growth and, potentially, develop musculoskeletal tissues.

Extracellular matrix-derived and low-cost proteins to improve polyurethane-based scaffolds for vascular grafts

“…First, the Gel deposits on the fiber surface observed using AFM are hydrophilic. Second, Col and El have more hydrophobic structures than Gel (i.e., hydrolyzed collagen) 40 . With the increased hydrophilicity due to the addition of proteins, especially gelatin, the fluid uptake ability of the PU scaffolds increased.…”

Scaffolding Biomaterials for 3D Cultivated Meat: Prospects and Challenges

“…[ 59 ] Spinning techniques can be applied to a variety of materials including polylactic acid (PLA), [ 197 , 198 ] poly(lactic‐ co ‐glycolic acid) (PLGA), [ 199 , 200 ] poly‐ ε ‐caprolactone (PCL), [ 201 ] gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), [ 202 ] fibronectin, [ 203 ] albumin, [ 204 ] and gelatin [ 59 ] in a relatively high‐throughput manner. Combinations of materials are also common, including PCL and poly( N ‐isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm), [ 205 ] PCL and collagen or gelatin, [ 206 , 207 , 208 ] PCL and alginate, [ 209 ] and soy protein hydrolysate and cellulose acetate. [ 210 ]…”

“…[ 209 ] Semialigned electrospun fibers composed of PCL and gelatin were also shown to support murine L6 myoblast growth and differentiation. [ 206 ] PCL has also been investigated as a substrate for selective laser sintering, an additive manufacturing technology in which a laser is used to fuse a powdered material (in this case PCL) into a solid 3D structure, which was shown to be effective as a scaffold for MSCs. [ 281 ]…”

Silk fibroin microfiber‐reinforced polycaprolactone composites with enhanced biodegradation and biological characteristics

“…Yet, they pose inflammatory risks and are not stable in the acidic pH environment during the PCL degradation in vivo. Interestingly, PCL has also been mixed with several other natural polymers like collagen, gelatin, silk, and decellularized extracellular matrix 12–14 . Among all‐natural polymers, silk is mechanically strong and osteoinductive 15,16 .…”

“…Interestingly, PCL has also been mixed with several other natural polymers like collagen, gelatin, silk, and decellularized extracellular matrix. [12][13][14] Among all-natural polymers, silk is mechanically strong and osteoinductive. 15,16 The robust nature of silk is explained by its tensile strength of 300-740 MPa, the elastic modulus of silk cocoon is15-17 and 12.4-17.9 GPa for the silk obtained via silking from the gland, break elongation of 18%-21%, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 360-530 MPa.…”