Abstract
An irreversible loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue in patients after tumor removal or deep dermal burns makes soft tissue engineering one of the most important challenges in biomedical research. The ideal scaffold for adipose tissue engineering has yet not been identified though biodegradable polymers gained an increasing interest during the last years. In the present study we synthesized two novel biodegradable polymers, poly(ε-caprolactone-co-urethane-co-urea) (PEUU) and poly[(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone)-co-(L-lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate)-block-oligo(ethylene glycol)-urethane] (PEU), containing different types of hydrolytically cleavable bondings. Solutions of the polymers at appropriate concentrations were used to fabricate fleeces by electrospinning. Ultrastructure, tensile properties, and degradation of the produced fleeces were evaluated. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were seeded on fleeces and morphology, viability, proliferation and differentiation were assessed. The biomaterials show fine micro- and nanostructures composed of fibers with diameters of about 0.5 to 1.3 µm. PEUU fleeces were more elastic, which might be favourable in soft tissue engineering, and degraded significantly slower compared to PEU. ASCs were able to adhere, proliferate and differentiate on both scaffolds. Morphology of the cells was slightly better on PEUU than on PEU showing a more physiological appearance. ASCs differentiated into the adipogenic lineage. Gene analysis of differentiated ASCs showed typical expression of adipogenetic markers such as PPARgamma and FABP4. Based on these results, PEUU and PEU meshes show a promising potential as scaffold materials in adipose tissue engineering.
Highlights
A high incidence of soft tissue damage due to trauma or tumor removal on the one hand and limitations in reconstructing these defects on the other hand, asks for new solutions such as tissue engineering approaches
In the first step oligolactones have been prepared by conventional ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone or L-lactide/ e-caprolactone. These oligomers have been end-capped with L-lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate (LDI)
The resulting reactive prepolymers were treated with PEG 400 to afford the L-lactide- ecaprolactone containing poly(ester-urethane), poly[(L-lactide-co-e-caprolactone)-co-(L-lysine ethyl ester diisocyanate)-block-oligo(ethylene glycol)-urethane] (PEU), and with LDI in the presence of DABCO as catalyst to obtain the e-caprolactone based poly(ester-urethane-urea), PEUU, respectively
Summary
A high incidence of soft tissue damage due to trauma or tumor removal on the one hand and limitations in reconstructing these defects on the other hand, asks for new solutions such as tissue engineering approaches. Tissue engineering works with biomimetic methods combining material engineering with life science It requires an engineered biodegradable and highly biocompatible scaffold which can be used as vehicle for (stem) cells, growth factors, drugs, genes or other bioactive factors. This material should serve as first artificial matrix in tissue defects supporting invading cells to produce a new extracellular matrix and stimulating them to proliferate and form the new functional tissue. A new, appropriate biomaterial should be stable for several weeks to serve as a framework for invading cells, but should be biodegradable and hold a certain thickness and elasticity to provide plasticity as filler and shock protection Certain characteristics such as tensibility or micro- and nano-structure are important to imitate the natural extracellular matrix
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