Poster P1 - Fabrication and Characterization of Porous Nanofiber Microspheres for Enhanced Tissue Regeneration

Introduction: Porous nanofiber microspheres (PNMs) hold significant promise in the field of regenerative medicine due to their unique structural and biochemical properties. In this study, we present a novel method for fabricating PNMs and investigate their potential for enhancing tissue regeneration. By integrating electrospinning, electrospraying, and peptide conjugation techniques, we aim to develop PNMs with tailored morphologies and bioactive functionalities to address critical challenges in orthopedics, dentistry, and tissue engineering.

Materials and

Methods: We fabricated aligned poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) nanofiber mats (PNMs) via electrospinning, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde vapors. The fibers were then cryocut into short segments and homogenized in a gelatin solution. The short nanofiber solution was subsequently electrosprayed into liquid nitrogen to generate the PNMs (Figure 1A, John et al., Small, 2020). By controlling gas flow rate and applied voltage, we tailored the PNM morphology. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize the morphology and pore formation of the PNMs (Figure 1B). For enhanced osteogenic and angiogenic differentiation, PNMs were conjugated with bioactive peptides, such as BMP-2 and QK peptides, using photoreactive octenyl-alanine (OCTAL) groups. This approach aimed to stimulate bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions: SEM analysis revealed that varying flow rates of gas significantly influenced the morphology and pore characteristics of PNMs. BMSCs cultured on BMP-2 peptide-conjugated PNMs exhibited enhanced osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by increased osteocalcin expression. Similarly, HUVECs cultured on QK peptide-conjugated PNMs showed improved angiogenic differentiation, with enhanced CD31 expression and formation of microvascular networks. These results highlight the potential of PNMs as advanced biomaterials for promoting tissue regeneration and vascularization in various clinical applications.

Acknowledgements (Optional): This study was supported by National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01DE031272.