Biodegradable polymer tubes with litho graphically controlled 3D micro- and nanotopography

We introduce a novel scaffold fabrication process for making tubular constructs for vascular tissue engineering. Every aspect of the scaffold has been engineered providing unprecedented control of feature size and placement over five orders of magnitude by a combination of electron beam and photolithography. A wide range of micro- and nanotopographies can be incorporated into the scaffold these have been demonstrated to elicit specific cell responses, and utilising a specific topography can enhance the scaffold's final performance. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.