Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science, AGH University of Krakow, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, Kraków 30-059, Poland.
Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, AGH University of Krakow, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, Kraków 30-059, Poland.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2024 May;237:113864. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113864. Epub 2024 Mar 20.
Electrospun polymer scaffolds have gained prominence in biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound dressings, due to their customizable properties. As the interplay between cells and materials assumes fundamental significance in biomaterials research, understanding the relationship between fiber properties and cell behaviour is imperative. Nevertheless, altering fiber properties introduces complexity by intertwining mechanical and surface chemistry effects, challenging the differentiation of their individual impacts on cell behaviour. Core-shell fibers present an appealing solution, enabling the control of mechanical properties of scaffolds, flexibility in material and drug selection, efficient encapsulation, strong protection of bioactive drugs against harsh environments, and controlled, prolonged drug release. This study addresses a key challenge in core-shell fiber design related to the blending effect between core and shell polymers. Two types of fibers, PMMA and core-shell PC-PMMA, were electrospun, and thorough analyses confirmed the desired core-shell structure in PC-PMMA fibers. Surface chemistry analysis revealed PC diffusion to the PMMA shell of the core-shell fiber during electrospinning, subsequently prompting an investigation of the fiber's surface potential. Conducting cellular studies on osteoblasts by super-resolution confocal microscopy provided insights into the direct influence of interfacial polymer blending and, consequently, altered fiber surface and mechanical properties on cell focal adhesion points, bridging the gap between material attributes and cell responses in core-shell fibers.
静电纺丝聚合物支架在生物医学应用中得到了广泛的关注，包括组织工程、药物输送和伤口敷料，因为它们具有可定制的特性。由于细胞与材料之间的相互作用在生物材料研究中具有重要意义，因此了解纤维特性与细胞行为之间的关系至关重要。然而，改变纤维特性会引入复杂性，因为它交织了机械和表面化学效应，这使得区分它们对细胞行为的单独影响变得具有挑战性。核壳纤维提供了一种有吸引力的解决方案，能够控制支架的机械性能，灵活选择材料和药物，高效封装，对生物活性药物提供强烈保护以抵御恶劣环境，以及控制和延长药物释放。本研究解决了核壳纤维设计中的一个关键挑战，即与核和壳聚合物之间的共混效应有关。两种纤维，聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PMMA）和核壳聚碳酸酯-聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯（PC-PMMA）被静电纺丝，彻底的分析证实了 PC-PMMA 纤维中所需的核壳结构。表面化学分析表明，PC 在静电纺丝过程中扩散到核壳纤维的 PMMA 壳中，随后对纤维的表面电位进行了研究。通过超分辨率共聚焦显微镜对成骨细胞进行细胞研究，深入了解了界面聚合物共混对细胞黏附点的直接影响，以及由此改变的纤维表面和机械性能，从而在核壳纤维中填补了材料特性与细胞反应之间的差距。
