Impact of UV sterilization and short term storage on the in vitro release kinetics and bioactivity of biomolecules from electrospun scaffolds

Abstract

To effectively translate bioactive scaffolds into a preclinical setting, proper sterilization techniques and storage conditions need to be carefully considered, as the chosen sterilization technique and storage condition might affect the structural and mechanical properties of the scaffolds, as well as the bioactivity and release kinetics of the incorporated biomolecules. Since rarely tested or quantified, we show here in a proof-of-concept study how these parameters are affected by UV sterilization and one week storage at different temperatures using bioactive electrospun DegraPol scaffolds that were specifically designed for application in the field of tendon rupture repair. Even though UV sterilization and the different storage conditions did not impact the morphology or the physicochemical properties of the bioactive scaffolds, UV sterilization caused significant attenuation of the growth factor release kinetics, here platelet derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) release (by approx. 85%) and slight decrease in ascorbic acid release (by approx. 20%). In contrast, 4 °C and −20 °C storage did not have a major effect on the release kinetics of PDGF-BB, while storage at room temperature caused increase in PDGF-BB released. All storage conditions had little effect on ascorbic acid release. Equally important, neither UV sterilization nor storage affected the bioactivity of the released PDGF-BB, suggesting stability of the bioactive scaffolds for at least one week and showing potential for bioactive DegraPol scaffolds to be translated into an off-the-shelf available product. These parameters are expected to be scaffold and protein-dependent.

Electrospinning Fabrication Methods to Incorporate Laminin in Polycaprolactone for Kidney Tissue Engineering

“…However, a major challenge is to preserve the bioactivity, which is important in maintaining cell attachment and behaviour [14,15]. Also additional characteristics can be inadvertently effected by washing and sterilization steps which could cause damage or removal [16,17]. Alternatively, controlled inclusion of protein into polymer fibres can lead to increased stabilisation and function.…”

Electrospinning: A promising technique for drug delivery systems

“…Interestingly, there are some factors that have been ignored that could affect the release kinetics and bioactivity of drugs or biomolecules at the clinical use. Evrova et al presented a proof-of-concept study of how the sterilization process and period of storage can affect the properties of bioactivity and releases kinetics of a growth factor incorporated in an electrospun polyester urethane block copolymer called DegraPol (DP), it was found that during the storage and UV sterilization there was no visible impact in the morphology and physicochemical properties but UV sterilization affects the release in platelet-derived growth factor significantly, and the release kinetics decreased until 85% [119]. There is not doubt, electrospinning is still a promising technique for DDS and researchers will continue exploring different systems to overcome the limitations until now.…”

Recent Advances in Electrospun Sustainable Composites for Biomedical, Environmental, Energy, and Packaging Applications

“…Simultaneously, tissue engineering applies the principles of material engineering and the life sciences to manufacture functional tissue material to replace diseased or damaged organs and restore the functionality of these organs without having to subsequently remove them [101][102][103][104][105][106][107][108]. Electrospinning can be employed to create porous three-dimensional structures to which cells can adhere, proliferate, grow, and differentiate in order to repair and replace damaged tissue [109][110][111].…”