Electrospinning of aligned medical grade polyurethane nanofibres and evaluation of cell–scaffold interaction using SHED stem cells

Abstract

Polyurethane (PU) nanofibres are widely used in tissue engineering of elastic tissues such as tendon and ligament, vascular and arterial grafts etc. Alignment of the PU nanofibres is also a desirable property of some tissues to mimic the morphology of the extracellular matrix. Elasthane™ 55D nanofibres were produced using a common electrospinning method and a rotating drum to collect the aligned fibres. Four flow rates and five collector speeds were investigated for their effects on nanofibres alignment and diameter. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images of nanofibrous webs were captured, and the diameter and alignment of the nanofibres were measured. Finally, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous tooth (SHED) were seeded on the surface of the PU nanofibres to investigate the cell–scaffold interaction. Statistical results showed that the flow rate had a significant effect on the fibres diameter. Enhancing the flow rate led to increasing the diameter of the PU nanofibres. The results showed that the fibres alignment index was promoted by increasing the rotating speed of the collector. In addition, the morphological observation of SEM images indicated that cells grew in the alignment direction of the nanofibres. The results of this study can be applicable to produce and control the aligned PU nanofibres for specific applications such as vascular grafts, esophagus prosthesis, arterial grafts and tissue engineering of tendon and ligament.