Co-electrospun Scaffolds with Gradients in Fiber Alignment and Chemistry for the Regeneration of Ligament-Bone Transitions

摘要

This study demonstrates that scaffolds with complex architectures and gradients in chemical properties at physiologically relevant length-scales, can be fabricated by co-electrospinning appropriate polymer solutions from offset spinnerets onto a specially designed collector. The study also indicates that these scaffolds have the potential to be used for the regeneration of graded tissue interfaces such as those present at ligament-bone transitions. Efforts are currently underway to create a gradient of fiber chemistry and mechanical properties by co-electrospinning polymers with significantly different mechanical properties, as well as spatially varying the fiber diameter in the different regions of the scaffolds to further influence cell differentiation.