Coaxial bioelectrospinning of P34HB/PVA microfibers biomimetic scaffolds with simultaneity cell-laden for improving bone regeneration

Abstract

Poorly functioning scaffold materials and limitations in material-cell construction technology remain problems in bone tissue engineering. Electrospinning has been proven to be a suitable and available technique for production of 3D biomimetic scaffolds. To overcome these problems and retain the advantages of electrospinning, bioelectrospinning has been proposed to provide guidance by micropattern, homogeneous cell distribution, and effective nutrient utilization. Herein, we fabricated poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/poly (vinyl alcohol) (P34HB/PVA) with human bone mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) to biomimetic core-shell microfiber/cells complex by coaxial bioelectrospinning. Characterization of the fiber materials revealed that coaxial electrospinning combined the advantages of the two materials. In vitro cellular assays showed that after bioelectrospinning, the cells and material could be simultaneously spun while maintaining cell activity. The material provided a good 3D microenvironment allowing cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Both the in vitro and in vivo tests indicated the formation of mineralized nodules in both the co-spun and co-axial groups, while the implants formed bone-like tissue after 16 weeks of implantation. This study shows that coaxial bioelectrospinning technology can be used to construct tissue-engineered bone. Our technique might be applied in the future to fabricate more complex tissue and organs.

Keywords

• Coaxial electrospinning
• Bioelectrospinning
• P34HB
• Heterotopic osteogenesis
• Bone tissue engineering