Selective laser melting–enabled electrospinning: Introducing complexity within electrospun membranes

Additive manufacturing technologies enable the creation of very precise and well-defined structures that can mimic hierarchical features of natural tissues. In this article, we describe the development of a manufacturing technology platform to produce innovative biodegradable membranes that are enha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of engineering in medicine Journal of engineering in medicine, 2017-06, Vol.231 (6), p.565-574
Main Authors: Paterson, Thomas E, Beal, Selina N, Santocildes-Romero, Martin E, Sidambe, Alfred T, Hatton, Paul V, Asencio, Ilida Ortega
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biocompatible Materials - pharmacology
Biodegradability
Biodegradation
Biomedical engineering
Bone growth
Bone healing
Cell culture
Cell proliferation
Electricity
Electron microscopy
Electrospinning
Healing
Laser beam melting
Lasers
Male
Manufacturing
Materials Testing
Melting
Membranes
Membranes, Artificial
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology
Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - drug effects
Mesenchyme
Microenvironments
Microtechnology
Rapid prototyping
Rats
Regeneration
Scanning electron microscopy
Stromal cells
Surgical implants
Tissue engineering
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Summary:Additive manufacturing technologies enable the creation of very precise and well-defined structures that can mimic hierarchical features of natural tissues. In this article, we describe the development of a manufacturing technology platform to produce innovative biodegradable membranes that are enhanced with controlled microenvironments produced via a combination of selective laser melting techniques and conventional electrospinning. This work underpins the manufacture of a new generation of biomaterial devices that have significant potential for use as both basic research tools and components of therapeutic implants. The membranes were successfully manufactured and a total of three microenvironment designs (niches) were chosen for thorough characterisation. Scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrated differences in fibre diameters within different areas of the niche structures as well as differences in fibre density. We also showed the potential of using the microfabricated membranes for supporting mesenchymal stromal cell culture and proliferation. We demonstrated that mesenchymal stromal cells grow and populate the membranes penetrating within the niche-like structures. These findings demonstrate the creation of a very versatile tool that can be used in a variety of tissue regeneration applications including bone healing.
ISSN:0954-4119
2041-3033
DOI:10.1177/0954411917690182