Development of a novel porous polyvinyl formal (PVF) microfibrous scaffold for nerve tissue engineering

Abstract

Tissue engineering strategies are constantly in search of novel scaffold materials that can accelerate cell adhesion, growth and proliferation. In this context, poly(vinyl formal) (PVF), a biodegradable and water absorbing polymer derived from poly(vinyl alcohol) was explored as a potential scaffold material for neural regeneration. No prior attempts have been made to fabricate electrospun fibrous scaffolds from PVF for tissue engineering applications and this forms the focus of the present study. The electrospinning conditions were optimized to obtain defect-free PVF microfibres with an average diameter of 4.4 ± 0.7 μm. The microfibres exhibited a uniform nanoporous surface and a solid core that augmented neuronal cell adhesion and neurite extension. The fibres were brittle and exhibited a 50% degradation in physiological pH and temperature. The viability of hippocampal neuronal cells cultured on the scaffold showed a progressive increase with time revealing its promise as a scaffold material for neural tissue engineering.