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Biomaterials for 3D Cell Biology Research Letter

Electrospun aniline-tetramer-co-polycaprolactone fibers for conductive, biodegradable scaffolds A. G. Guex, Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK; Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biointerfaces, and Laboratory for Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland C. D. Spicer, A. Armgarth, and A. Gelmi, Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK E. J. Humphrey, C. M. Terracciano, and S. E. Harding, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK M. M. Stevens, Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK Address all correspondence to M. M. Stevens at [email protected] (Received 21 April 2017; accepted 9 June 2017)

Abstract Conjugated polymers have been proposed as promising materials for scaffolds in tissue engineering applications. However, the restricted processability and biodegradability of conjugated polymers limit their use for biomedical applications. Here we synthesized a block-co-polymer of aniline tetramer and PCL (AT–PCL), and processed it into fibrous non-woven scaffolds by electrospinning. We showed that fibronectin (Fn) adhesion was dependent on the AT–PCL oxidative state, with a reduced Fn unfolding length on doped membranes. Furthermore, we demonstrated the cytocompatibility and potential of these membranes to support the growth and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells over 21 days.

Introduction For several decades, cell therapies and tissue engineering have been increasingly considered as new therapeutic strategies to treat large bone defects or non-union fractions.[1–3] Recreating the complexity of native tissue through three-dimensional (3D) constructs, cell-material biografts, or biomaterials in general remains incredibly challenging.[4] Importantly, cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and subsequent tissue formation, as well as clinical outcome, are strongly dependent on the choice of scaffold design, the ability of cells to interact with the material, and the successful creation of an artificial microenvironment. Ideally scaffolds should recreate the architectural, chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties of the host tissue.[5] A variety of tissues, including bone, are susceptible to electrical stimulation, and the inherent piezoelectric properties of bone tissue has led to the hypothesis that electroactive materials could be suitable for promoting in vivo bone repair and osteogenesis.[6,7] To this end, conjugated organic polymers such as polypyrrole (P