Abstract
Tissue engineering uses a combination of cell biology, chemistry, and biomaterials to fabricate three dimensional (3D) tissues that mimic the architecture of extracellular matrix (ECM) comprising diverse interwoven nanofibrous structure. Among several methods for producing nanofibrous scaffolds, electrospinning has gained intense interest because it can make nanofibers with a porous structure and high specific surface area. The processing and solution parameters of electrospinning can considerably affect the assembly and structural morphology of the fabricated nanofibers. Electrospun nanofibers can be made from natural or synthetic polymers and blending them is a straightforward way to tune the functionality of the nanofibers. Furthermore, the electrospun nanofibers can be functionalized with various surface modification strategies. In this review, we highlight the latest achievements in fabricating electrospun nanofibers and describe various ways to modify the surface and structure of scaffolds to promote their functionality. We also summarize the application of advanced polymeric nanofibrous scaffolds in the regeneration of human bone, cartilage, vascular tissues, and tendons/ligaments.
Highlights
The high occurrence of tissue injury and organ failure has caused the demand for organ transplantation to increase year by year [1]
Many researchers have attempted to modulate the biological function of cells by using biomaterials designed with a defined three dimensional (3D) structure and cell-instructive signals enriched with extracellular matrix (ECM)-like components [4,5,6]
The results indicated excellent mechanical performance because the poly l-lactic acid-co-e-caprolactone (PLCL)/COL aligned in the parallel direction, single poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA)/silk fibroin (SF) yarn, and random PLCL/COL fibers had an ultimate stress of 23.03 ± 2, 15.57 ± 1.33, and 15.73 ± 2.55 MPa and largest elongation of 103.75 ± 5.3%, 201.14 ± 17.16% and 99.1 ± 14.57%, respectively
Summary
The high occurrence of tissue injury and organ failure has caused the demand for organ transplantation to increase year by year [1]. The electrospinning technique has attracted considerable attention because it offers high porosity and an adjustable pore size distribution in nanofibrous scaffolds. The materials used to fabricate nanofibrous scaffolds are important [11]; synthetic, natural, and composite polymers have been widely used to make electrospun nanofibers [12, 13]. In this review article, we have highlighted the great potential of electrospinning for the fabrication of nanofibers to be used as scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. We present a brief overview of the different methods proposed for the fabrication of nanofibrous scaffolds, focusing on the electrospinning approach. We introduce the various types of natural, synthetic, and composite polymers, used in the fabrication of nanofiber scaffolds, highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of each material condition. We summarize current applications of nanofibrous scaffolds in the regeneration of various types of tissue (Fig. 1)
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