Vascularized adipose construction via low-fouling shape memory scaffold

Abstract

Vascularization is of great importance for the adipose tissue engineering. Although shape memory scaffolds have exhibited advantages in minimally invasive approach, lacking angiogenesis property is the major barrier of such smart material applied for vascularized adipose construction. Here, low-fouling shape memory scaffolds as the advanced carrier of stem cells to promote the vascularized adipose regeneration is innovatively developed based on crosslinking poly(ω-pentandecalactone) (PPDL) with poly(L-glutamic acid)-g-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLGA-g-PCL), and modification by dopamine modified poly(ethylene glycol) (DA-PEG). The scaffolds exhibited adipose-mimicking elastic moduli through PPDL adjustment. More importantly, the scaffold with DA-PEG low-fouling coating could prevent adipose derived stem cells (ASCs) adhesion, while driving ASCs to form aggregates. In vitro angiogenesis and adipogenesis analysis revealed that the low-fouling shape memory scaffold exhibited better performance in the expression of angiogenic and adipogenic factors. In vivo evaluation showed that scaffold carrying ASCs aggregates could promote regeneration of vascularized adipose. Therefore, these results have presented a newly low-fouling shape memory scaffold with great potential in the application of vascularized adipose construction.