Electrospun Nanofiber Scaffolds with Gradations in Fiber Organization

Summary

Here, we present a protocol to fabricate electrospun nanofiber scaffolds with gradated organization of fibers and explore their applications in regulating cell morphology/orientation. Gradients with regard to physical and chemical properties of the nanofiber scaffolds offer a wide variety of applications in the biomedical field.

Abstract

The goal of this protocol is to report a simple method for generating nanofiber scaffolds with gradations in fiber organization and test their possible applications in controlling cell morphology/orientation. Nanofiber organization is controlled with a new fabrication apparatus that enables the gradual decrease of fiber organization in a scaffold. Changing the alignment of fibers is achieved through decreasing deposition time of random electrospun fibers on a uniaxially aligned fiber mat. By covering the collector with a moving barrier/mask, along the same axis as fiber deposition, the organizational structure is easily controlled. For tissue engineering purposes, adipose-derived stem cells can be seeded to these scaffolds. Stem cells undergo morphological changes as a result of their position on the varied organizational structure, and can potentially differentiate into different cell types depending on their locations. Additionally, the graded organization of fibers enhances the biomimicry of nanofiber scaffolds so they more closely resemble the natural orientations of collagen nanofibers at tendon-to-bone insertion site compared to traditional scaffolds. Through nanoencapsulation, the gradated fibers also afford the possibility to construct chemical gradients in fiber scaffolds, and thereby further strengthen their potential applications in fast screening of cell-materials interaction and interfacial tissue regeneration. This technique enables the production of continuous gradient scaffolds, but it also can potentially produce fibers in discrete steps by controlling the movement of the moving barrier/mask in a discrete fashion.

Introduction

Nanofibers are a popular utility for tissue engineering because of their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix in its structure and relative size¹. However, some native tissue interfaces, such as the tendon-to-bone insertion site, contain collagen fibers, which exhibit a variable organizational structure that increases in alignment towards the tendon and decreases at the bone site^2-5. So, for effective tissue regeneration there is a need to fabricate a scaffold that could effectively mimic this structural gradient.

Previously, there has been research conducted on gradual changes in fiber composition, specifically, ....

Protocol

1. Preparation of the Solution

1. Prepare a solution of Poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) (M_w= 80,000 g/mol) at an approximate concentration of 100 mg/ml. Dissolve PCL in a mixture of dichloromethane (DCM) and N, N-dimethlyformamide (DMF) at a ratio of 4:1 (v/v) with a concentration of 10% (w/v).
2. Place the solution in a 20 ml glass tube for mixing. Place glass tube into ultrasonic cleaner for 30 minutes, or until solution is translucent.

2. Apparatus Preparation

1. Add the prepared PCL solution into a 5 ml syringe with a 21 gauge blunt needle attached.
2. Place syringe pump in a vertical e....

Results

Using this protocol, a fiber mat with an organizational gradient was formed. Figure 3 shows the SEM images taken at various locations on the nanofiber scaffold. Qualitatively, it can be determined that there is a progression from the uniaxially aligned fibers at 0 mm (Figure 3A) to a random fiber assortment at 6 mm (Figure 3D). The FFT gives a quantitative value to the fiber alignment, specifics on the quantitative processes are detailed here¹⁹. Fibers at 0 mm.......

Discussion

The most critical part of the protocol is generation of the gradient scaffold. It is imperative that the mask covering the collector moves at a constant velocity so there is a gradual change within the fiber scaffold. The correct preparation of PCL solution is also important to ensure electrospinning success. Checking the fiber morphology prior to electrospinning is recommendable, especially after the encapsulation of Coumarin-6, which may require a higher voltage to electrospin correctly.

Fu.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Polycaprolactone	Sigma-Aldrich	440744
N,N-Dimethlyformamide	Fisher Chemical	D-119-1
Dichloromethane	Fisher Chemical	AC61093-1000
Coumarin 6	Sigma-Aldrich	546283
Adipose Derived Stem Cells	Cellular engineering Technologies	HMSC.AD-100
Fetal Bovine Serum	Life Technologies	26140-111
Fluorescein Diacetate	Sigma-Aldrich	F7378
Ethanol	Sigma-Aldrich	E7023
Trypsin-EDTA	Invitrogen	25300-054
α-Modified Eagle's Medium	Invitrogen	a10490-01
Acetone	Fisher Scientific	s25120a
Phosphate Buffered Saline	Invitrogen	10010023
Glass Slides	VWR international, LLC	101412-842
Syringe Pump	Fisher Scientific	14-831-200	Single syringe
Ultrasonic Cleaner	Branson	1510
High Voltage DC Power Supply	Gamma High Voltage Research	ES30
Scanning Electron Microscope	FEI	Nova 2300
Fluorescence Microscope	Zeiss	Axio Imager 2