Silk fibers are fibrous protein with unique combination of strength and toughness. Its biocompatibility makes it an ideal candidate for various biomedical applications. We hypothesized that composites consisting of silk and carbon nanotube (CNT) will have superior mechanical properties. This paper describes the production of protein based scaffolds having required mechanical properties and acti...

Electrospinning is a versatile process technology, exploited for the production of fibers with varying diameters, ranging from nanoto micro-scale, particularly useful for a wide range of applications. Among these, tissue engineering is particularly relevant to this technology since electrospun fibers offer topological structure features similar to the native extracellular matrix, thus providing...

Due to osteoconductivity of hydroxyapatite (HA), HA/polymer composite scaffolds have been investigated for bone tissue engineering by various groups. In scaffold fabrication, electrospinning of ultrafine fibrous scaffolds incorporated with substantial amounts of evenly distributed HA nanoparticles is still a challenge. The problem of nanoparticle agglomeration not only reduces the electrospinni...

Few therapeutic options exist for meniscus repair after injury. Local delivery of growth factors may stimulate repair and create a favorable environment for engineered replacement materials. In this study we assessed the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) (a pro-mitotic agent) and transforming growth factor β3 (TGF-β3) (a pro-matrix formation agent) on meniscus repair and the integ...

Normal wound healing is a highly complex process that requires the interplay of various growth factors and cell types. Despite advancements in biomaterials, only a few bioactive wound dressings reach the clinical setting. The purpose of this research was to explore the feasibility of electrospinning a novel nanofibrous chitosan (CS)-fibrinogen (Fb) scaffold capable of sustained release of plate...

Fibrocartilages, including the knee meniscus and the annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc, play critical mechanical roles in load transmission across joints and their function is dependent upon well-defined structural hierarchies, organization, and composition. All, however, are compromised in the pathologic transformations associated with tissue degeneration. Tissue engineering str...

In situ tissue regeneration holds great promise for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. However, to achieve control over long-term and localised presence of biomolecules, certain barriers must be overcome. The aim of this study was to develop electrospun scaffolds for the fabrication of artificial vascular grafts that can be remodelled within a host by endogenous cell rec...

Purpose We fabricated and investigated polymeric scaffolds that can substitute for the conjunctival extracellular matrix to provide a substrate for autologous expansion of human conjunctival goblet cells in culture. Methods We fabricated two hydrogels and two silk films: (1) recombinant human collagen (RHC) hydrogel, (2) recombinant human collagen 2-methacryloylxyethyl phosphorylcholine (RHC-...

This work focuses on designing bilayered constructs by combining electrospun poly-DL-Lactide (PDLLA) fibers and Bioglass®-derived scaffolds for development of osteochondral tissue replacement materials. Electrospinning was carried out using a solution of 5 wt/v% PDLLA in dimethyl carbonate. The PDLLA layer thickness increased from 2 to 150 µm with varying electrospinning time. Bioactivity studi...

Electrospun materials, due to their unique properties, have found many applications in the biomedical field. Exploiting porous nanofibrous structure, they are often used as scaffolds tissue engineering which closely resemble a native cellular environment. The structural and mechanical properties of substrates need be carefully optimised mimic cues by extracellular matrix guide cells’ behaviour ...