Abdel Salam H Makhlouf
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA
Title: Quick fabrication of highly porous dual tissue scaffolds using textile techniques
Biography
Biography: Abdel Salam H Makhlouf
Abstract
Quick fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with tunable mechanical properties while retaining their highlyrnporous structure have received an increasing interest for fabrication of vascular tissue scaffolds. Conventional methodsrnsuch as electrospinning have several drawbacks including limited production rate, scaffold porosity, and the need for electricalrncharging of polymer solutions during synthesis. Textile techniques for making fabrics allow fast fabrication and porousrnarchitectures. This article presents the concept of single and dual air jet spinning (AJS) for the fabrication of finely tunedrnmicro and nano-fibrous membranes and vascular grafts for use in tissue engineering applications. The mechanism of AJS isrnbased on the extrusion of polymer solutions, under controlled pressure and polymer solution properties, through a nozzle thatrnallows for precisely tuned fiber morphology, diameter, mechanical properties and web porosity. We successfully optimized thernexperimental parameters for fabrication of fibrous scaffold membranes composed of pure polycaprolactone, pure nylon 6 andrntheir mixtures at different ratios. The scaffold biocompatibility was examined by analyzing cell attachment and proliferationrnby seeding with EA.hy926 endothelial cells. Surprisingly, the AJS method developed in this article facilitated (in less than 3rnminutes) the fabrication of 3D constructs that are highly porous and supportive of permeability to nutrients and metabolites.rnTherefore, we believe that the AJS approach could be a promising method for the fast construction of high performance micrornand nanofiber vascular structures that are not amenable to compete with other conventional techniques such as electrospinning.