Gas foaming of electrospun poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone)/silk fibroin nanofiber scaffolds to promote cellular infiltration and tissue regeneration

Electrospun nanofibers emulate extracellular matrix (ECM) morphology and architecture; however, small pore size and tightly-packed fibers impede their translation in tissue engineering. Here we exploited in situ gas foaming to afford three-dimensional (3D) poly(L-lactide-co-epsilon-caprolactone)/silk fibroin (PLCL/SF) scaffolds, which exhibited nanotopographic cues and a multilayered structure. The addition of SF improved the hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of 3D PLCL scaffolds. Three-dimensional scaffolds exhibited larger pore size (38.75 +/- 9.78 mu m(2)) and high porosity (87.1% +/- 1.5%) than that of their 2D counterparts. 3D scaffolds also improved the deposition of ECM components and neo-vessel regeneration as well as exhibited more numbers of CD163(+)/CCR7(+) cells after 2 weeks implantation in a subcutaneous model. Collectively, 3D PLCL/SF scaffolds have broad implications for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications.

Automated summary

In situ gas foaming was used to create 3D PLCL/SF scaffolds with nanotopographic cues and a multilayered structure, enhancing hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. These scaffolds had larger pore size and high porosity compared to 2D counterparts, promoting deposition of ECM components and new vessel regeneration. The 3D scaffolds also showed increased numbers of CD163(+)/CCR7(+) cells after implantation in a subcutaneous model, highlighting their potential in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications.