Dual-syringe reactive electrospinning of cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogel nanofibers for tissue engineering applications

A facile fabrication of a cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogel nanofibers by a reactive electrospinning method is described. A thiolated HA derivative, 3,3'dithiobis(propanoic dihydrazide)-modified HA (HA-DTPH), and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) are selected as the cross-linking system. The cross-linking reaction occurs simultaneously during the electrospinning process using a dual-syringe mixing technique. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is added into the spinning solution as a viscosity modifier to facilitate the fiber formation and is selectively removed with water after the electrospinning process. The nanofibrous structure of the electrospun HA scaffold is well preserved after hydration with an average fiber diameter of 110 nm. A cell morphology study on fibronectin (FN)-adsorbed HA nanofibrous scaffolds shows that the NIH 3T3 fibroblasts migrate into the scaffold through the nanofibrous network, and demonstrate an elaborate three-dimensional dendritic morphology within the scaffold, which reflects the dimensions of the electrospun HA nanofibers. These results suggest the application of electrospun HA nanofibrous scaffolds as a potential material for wound healing and tissue regeneration.