Yes / While achieving the spatial organization of cells within 3D assembled nanofiber/cell constructs via nanofiber-enabled cell layering, the small sizes of inter-fiber pores of the electrospun nanofiber mats could significantly limit cell penetration across the layers for rapid formation of an integrated tissue construct. To address this challenge, efforts were made to improve cell-infiltration of electrospun nanofiber mats by modulating the density distribution and spatial organization of the fibers during electrospinning. Collection of collagen-containing electrospun nanofibers (300–600 nm in diameter) onto the surface of a stainless steel metal mesh (1 mm × 1 mm in mesh size) led to the periodic alternation of fiber density from densely packed to loosely arranged distribution within the same mat, in which the densely packed fibers maintained the structural integrity while the region of loose fibers allowed for cell penetration. Along with improved cell infiltration, the distinct fiber organization between dense and loose fiber regions also induced different morphology of fibroblasts (stellate vs. elongated spindle-like). Assembly of cell-seeded nanofiber sheets into 3D constructs with such periodically organized nanofiber mats further demonstrated their advantages in improving cell penetration across layers in comparison to either random or aligned nanofiber mats. Taken together, modulation of nanofiber density to enlarge the pore size is effective to improve cell infiltration through electrospun mats for better tissue formation. / NSF-IIP. Grant Numbers: 1338958, 1346430; NSF-DMR. Grant Number: 1508511; NSF-CBET. Grant Number: 1033742; and NIAMS. Grant Number: 1R21 AR056416
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/8909 |
| Date | 04 February 2016 |
| Creators | Mahjour, S.B., Sefat, Farshid, Polunin, Y., Wang, L., Wang, H. |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, Accepted manuscript |
| Rights | © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Mahjour SB, Sefat F, Polunin Y, Wang L and Wang H (2016) Improved cell infiltration of electrospun nanofiber mats by periodic modulation of fiber density and spatial organization for layered tissue constructs. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. 104(6): 1479-1488., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.35676. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
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