(55d) Fabrication of Novel Tissue Engineering Scaffold Using Nanofibrous Polyaniline and Nonwoven Poly(Ethylene-Terephthalate) Fibers

Conductive polymer, such as polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most popular materials currently under investigation due to its excellent applications in the electronic industry. Besides random nanofibers, aligned and oriented nanofibers were successfully fabricated using a dilute polymerization method. Nonwoven fibrous poly(ethylene-terephthalate) (PET) is a commonly used three-dimensional scaffold because of its excellent properties, such as high surface area and stability. In this study, fabrication of a novel bioscaffold containing both micro-porous and nano-featured fibers was carried out by carefully hybridizing PANI nanofibers and PET fibers. By altering the surface chemistry and the topography of the fibers without modifying the physical properties of the scaffold, the performance of the scaffold was greatly enhanced. Human derived astrocytoma cell line was used to assess the effects of the PANI nanofibers on cellular behaviors. Cell density, cell size, GDNF secretion, lactic acid production and glucose consumption were analyzed in the experiment. Interestingly, we observed measurable neuronal differentiation of astrocytes, shown by differences in the morphology and GDNF secretions of the astrocytes grown on different surfaces. The proliferation rates of the cells grown on different substrats also differ. It was confirmed that protein adsorption regulated the cell adsorption. Furthermore, pretreatment of the substrates with the culture medium was necessary to improve cell adhesion and thus cell proliferation.