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Electrospun tubular scaffolds: On the effectiveness of blending poly(ε‐caprolactone) with poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐ co ‐3‐hydroxyvalerate)
Author(s) -
Del Gaudio Costantino,
Fioravanzo Lara,
Folin Marcella,
Marchi Fabiana,
Ercolani Enrico,
Bianco Alessandra
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.32756
Subject(s) - electrospinning , materials science , caprolactone , tissue engineering , biomedical engineering , homogeneous , polymer , composite material , copolymer , medicine , physics , thermodynamics
Tissue engineering can effectively contribute to the development of novel vascular prostheses aimed to overcome the well‐known drawbacks of small‐diameter grafts. To date, poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL), a bioresorbable synthetic poly(α‐hydroxyester), is considered one of the most promising materials for vascular tissue engineering. In this work, the potential advantage of intimate blending soft PCL and hard poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐ co ‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), a polymer of microbial origin, has been evaluated. Nonwoven mats and small‐diameter tubular scaffolds of PCL, PHBV, and PCL/PHBV were fabricated by means of electrospinning technique. Mechanical properties and suture retention strength were investigated according to the international standard for cardiovascular implants. Biological tests demonstrated that both PCL‐based scaffolds supported survival and growth of rat cerebral endothelial cells in a short time. The fiber alignment of the electrospun tubular scaffolds contributed to a more rapid and homogeneous cell colonization of the luminal surface. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012.