Issue 33, 2018, Issue in Progress

A novel application of electrospun silk fibroin/poly(l-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) scaffolds for conjunctiva reconstruction

Abstract

Electrospun hybrid nanofibers prepared using combinations of natural and synthetic polymers have been widely investigated in tissue engineering. In this study, silk fibroin (SF) and poly(L-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) hybrid scaffolds were successfully prepared by electrospinning. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) showed that SF/PLCL scaffolds were composed of defect-free nanofibers with a smooth and homogeneous fiber morphology. Water contact angle measurements demonstrated that the scaffolds were hydrophilic. To assess the cell affinity of SF/PLCL scaffolds, rabbit conjunctival epithelial cells (rCjECs) were cultured on the electrospun scaffolds. Scanning electron micrographs and in vitro proliferation assays showed that the cells adhered and proliferated well on the scaffolds. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results showed excellent expression of CjEC genes, with reduced expression of inflammatory mediators. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showed that the engineered conjunctiva constructed with SF/PLCL scaffolds consisted of 2–4 layers of epithelium. Furthermore, SF/PLCL scaffolds transplanted subcutaneously exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, SF/PLCL scaffolds may find biomedical applications in conjunctival reconstruction in the near future.

Graphical abstract: A novel application of electrospun silk fibroin/poly(l-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) scaffolds for conjunctiva reconstruction

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Dec 2017
Accepted
08 May 2018
First published
21 May 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 18372-18380

A novel application of electrospun silk fibroin/poly(L-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) scaffolds for conjunctiva reconstruction

Q. Yao, Y. Hu, F. Yu, W. Zhang and Y. Fu, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 18372 DOI: 10.1039/C7RA13551C

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