A bFGF-releasing silk/PLGA-based biohybrid scaffold for ligament/tendon tissue engineering using mesenchymal progenitor cells

• Published in: Biomaterials 2010-04, Vol.31 (11), p.2990-2998
• Main Authors: Sahoo, Sambit, Toh, Siew Lok, Goh, James C.H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced Basic Science; Animals; bFGF; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - metabolism; Biomimetic scaffolds; Bone Marrow Cells - cytology; Bone Marrow Cells - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Dentistry; Electrospinning; Extracellular Matrix - chemistry; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Extracellular Matrix - ultrastructure; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - metabolism; Gene Expression; Lactic Acid - chemistry; Lactic Acid - metabolism; Ligament & tendon; Ligaments - cytology; Ligaments - physiology; Materials Testing; Mesenchymal progenitor cells; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - physiology; Polyglycolic Acid - chemistry; Polyglycolic Acid - metabolism; Rabbits; Silk; Silk - chemistry; Silk - metabolism; Tendons - cytology; Tendons - physiology; Tissue Engineering - instrumentation; Tissue Engineering - methods; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.01.004

Abstract An ideal scaffold that provides a combination of suitable mechanical properties along with biological signals is required for successful ligament/tendon regeneration in mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue engineering strategies. Among the various fibre-based scaffolds that have been used, hybrid fibrous scaffolds comprising both microfibres and nanofibres have been recently shown to be particularly promising. This study developed a biohybrid fibrous scaffold system by coating bioactive bFGF-releasing ultrafine PLGA fibres over mechanically robust slowly-degrading degummed knitted microfibrous silk scaffolds. On the ECM-like biomimetic architecture of ultrafine fibres, sustained release of bFGF mimicked the ECM in function, initially stimulating mesenchymal progenitor cell (MPC) proliferation, and subsequently, their tenogeneic differentiation. The biohybrid scaffold system not only facilitated MPC attachment and promoted cell proliferation, with cells growing both on ultrafine PLGA fibres and silk microfibres, but also stimulated tenogeneic differentiation of seeded MPCs. Upregulated gene expression of ligament/tendon-specific ECM proteins and increased collagen production likely contributed to enhancing mechanical properties of the constructs, generating a ligament/tendon analogue that has the potential to be used to repair injured ligaments/tendons.