Characterization and Biocompatibility of Biopolyester Nanofibers

Biodegradable nanofibers are expected to be promising scaffold materials for biomedical engineering, however, biomedical applications require control of the degradation behavior and tissue response of nanofiber scaffolds in vivo. For this purpose, electrospun nanofibers of poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHAs) and poly(lactide)s (PLAs) were subjected to degradation tests in vitro and in vivo. In this review, characterization and biocompatibility of nanofibers derived from PHAs and PLAs are described. In particular, the effects of the crystalline structure of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate], stereocomplex structure of PLA, and monomer composition of PHA on the degradation behaviors are described in detail. These studies show the potential of biodegradable polyester nanofibers as scaffold material, for which suitable degradation rate and regulated interaction with surrounding tissues are required. OPEN ACCESS Materials 2009, 2 1521