Fabrication and cellular compatibility of aligned poly(hydroxy alkanoate) nanofibers for nerve tissue engineering

The ability to fabricate aligned nanofibers may open new avenues for the development of nerve regeneration using tissue engineering scaffolds. In this study, aligned poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(3-hydroxy butyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/PHBV) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated using electrospinning for the culture in vitro of Schwann cells (SCs) that physiologically assist in directing the growth of regenerating axons. The biocompatibility of the fabricated scaffolds was evaluated in terms of SCs adhesion and proliferation by DNA and metabolic activity quantification assays. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and immunostaining analysis was performed to assess cell morphology and functionality. The results of this study showed that cells attached, proliferated and were metabolically active on scaffolds during 2 weeks of culture and positive for the SCs marker . Furthermore, SCs cultured on aligned nanofibers exhibited enhanced unidirectional cells orientation along the orientation of nanofibers and significantly higher proliferation and metabolic activity than those cultured on random nanofibers.