Electrospun Proteoglycan Matrices for Tracheal Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Decorin (DCN) is a proteoglycan (PG) present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues, including the trachea. Electrospinning is a suitable method for three‐dimensional (3D) scaffold fabrication to mimic the ECM's fibrous structure. In this study, we generated electrospun DCN‐polymer hybrids to obtain scaffolds that allow human tracheal cell (hTC) seeding.MethodsDCN containing scaffolds were fabricated and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements and dynamic mechanical analyses. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was performed to detect DCN within the scaffold. For cell‐matrix interaction studies, we seeded primary hTCs and confirmed their phenotype by using immunocytochemistry.ResultsAnalyses of the 3D substrates revealed a fibrous scaffold with a random fiber orientation. An average fiber diameter of 0.42 ± 0.20 μm and a pore size of 14.4 ± 6.4 μm2 was determined. Antibody staining for DCN showed the PG randomly distributed throughout the entire scaffold. After cell seeding, IF staining with an antibody against FOXJ1 revealed that ciliated hTCs adhered and proliferated on the scaffolds.ConclusionHere, we showed the successful electrospinning of PGs in combination with polymers to generate a fibrous scaffold with features of the natural ECM. Our data suggest that these substrates are excellent for applications in regenerative medicine.Grant Funding Source: Fraunhofer‐Gesellschaft (Attract 692263 to K.S.‐L)