Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102-1982, USA.
Acta Biomater. 2011 Nov;7(11):3877-86. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2011.07.013. Epub 2011 Jul 14.
Neural tissue engineering may be a promising option for neural repair treatment, for which a well-designed scaffold is essential. Smart materials that can stimulate neurite extension and outgrowth have been investigated as potential scaffolding materials. A piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) was used to fabricate electrospun aligned and random scaffolds having nano- or micron-sized fiber dimensions. The advantage of using a piezoelectric polymer is its intrinsic electrical properties. The piezoelectric characteristics of PVDF-TrFE scaffolds were shown to be enhanced by annealing. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons attached to all fibrous scaffolds. Neurites extended radially on random scaffolds, whereas aligned scaffolds directed neurite outgrowth for all fiber dimensions. Neurite extension was greatest on aligned, annealed PVDF-TrFE having micron-sized fiber dimensions in comparison with annealed and as-spun random PVDF-TrFE scaffolds. DRG on micron-sized aligned, as-spun and annealed PVDF-TrFE also had the lowest aspect ratio amongst all scaffolds, including non-piezoelectric PVDF and collagen-coated substrates. Findings from this study demonstrate the potential use of a piezoelectric fibrous scaffold for neural repair applications.
神经组织工程可能是一种很有前途的神经修复治疗选择，为此，精心设计的支架是必不可少的。具有刺激神经突延伸和生长能力的智能材料已被研究为潜在的支架材料。聚偏二氟乙烯-三氟乙烯（PVDF-TrFE）压电聚合物被用于制造具有纳米或微米纤维尺寸的静电纺丝定向和随机支架。使用压电聚合物的优点是其固有电性能。结果表明，退火可以增强 PVDF-TrFE 支架的压电特性。背根神经节（DRG）神经元附着在所有纤维支架上。在随机支架上，神经突呈放射状延伸，而在定向支架上，神经突沿所有纤维方向生长。与退火和未拉伸的随机 PVDF-TrFE 支架相比，具有微米纤维尺寸的定向、退火的 PVDF-TrFE 具有最大的神经突延伸。与所有支架（包括非压电 PVDF 和胶原涂层基底）相比，微米级定向、未拉伸和退火的 DRG 上的神经突的纵横比也最低。这项研究的结果表明，压电纤维支架在神经修复应用中具有潜在的用途。
