Polyaniline-polycaprolactone blended nanofibers for neural cell culture

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases compromise the quality of life of increasing numbers of the world’s aging population. While diagnosis is possible, no effective treatments are available. Using both tissue engineering and nanomedicine approaches, it is possible to develop systems appropriated for cell transplantation. Culturing neural stem cells (NSCs) on conductive polymers promotes their differentiation yield. The study herein aims at optimizing and characterizing NSC-compatible, electrically conductive poly(capro-ε-lactone) (PCL)-polyaniline (PANI) electrospun scaffolds for neural tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, the optimal PANI to PCL ratio required for ideal electroconductivity properties is still not well understood. The obtained fibers were characterized by FTIR, TGA and DSC, and their material’s mechanical properties and electroconductivity, were investigated. For the first time, PCL-PANI fiber’s biocompatibility was assessed in NSCs; cell adhesion, growth rate and morphology were evaluated and correlated with the material’s physico-chemical properties. All the samples tested were able to support neural stem cell growth without any major changes on the cell’s typical morphology. We were also successfully able to produce electrically conductive nanofibers with conductivities above of biological fluids (7.7 × 10−2 S/cm vs 1.0 × 10−2 S/cm), making these ideal candidates for in vitro neural differentiation studies under electrical stimulation. Overall, this study provides valuable knowledge to improve future, in vitro models for drug testing and tissue engineering applications.