Influence of fibre diameter and orientation of electrospun copolyetheresterurethanes on smooth muscle and endothelial cell behaviour

Issue title: Selected articles of the 32nd Annual Conference of the German Society for Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, Dresden, Germany, 24 – 25 May, 2013

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Rüder, Constantin^; | Sauter, Tilman^{; ;} | Kratz, Karl^; | Haase, Tobias^; | Peter, Jan | Jung, Friedrich^; | Lendlein, Andreas^{; ;} | Zohlnhöfer, Dietlind^;

Affiliations: Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany | Institute of Biomaterial Science, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Teltow, Germany | Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm, Germany | Department of Cardiology, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Charité, Berlin, Germany

Note: [] Corresponding author: Constantin Rüder, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. Tel.: +49 30 450539485; Fax: +49 30 450539902; E-mail: constantin.rueder@charite.de

Abstract: Polymers exhibiting cell-selective effects represent an extensive research field with high relevance for biomedical applications e.g. in the cardiovascular field supporting re-endothelialization while suppressing smooth muscle cell overgrowth. Such an endothelial cell-selective effect could be recently demonstrated for a copolyetheresterurethane (PDC) containing biodegradable poly(p-dioxanone) and poly(ε-caprolactone) segments, which selectively enhanced the adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) while suppressing the attachment of smooth muscle cells (SMC). In this study we investigated the influence of the fibre orientation (random and aligned) and fibre diameter (2 μm and 500 nm) of electrospun PDC scaffolds on the adhesion, proliferation and apoptosis of HUVEC and SMC. Adhesion, viability and proliferation of HUVEC was diminished when the fibre diameter was reduced to a submicron scale, while the orientation of the microfibres did only slightly influence the cellular behaviour. In contrast, a submicron fibre diameter improved SMC viability. In conclusion, PDC scaffolds with micron-sized single fibres could be promising candidate materials for cell-selective stent coatings.

Keywords: Endothelialization, drug eluting stent, degradable polymer, electrospinning, cell selectivity

DOI: 10.3233/CH-131787

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 513-522, 2013