交聯電紡纖維對機械性質與力生物學的影響

Abstract

天然韌帶是由許多具有平行排列結構的膠原蛋白纖維所組成的，而我們先前的研究指出，將細胞種在此種結構的纖維支架可以讓細胞表現出較好的細胞外間質分泌，但是天然韌帶不單單是只有許多平行的膠原蛋白纖維所組成的，纖維在組織中並且互相交聯補強其結構，我們的實驗主要是做出具有交聯性質的纖維支架和探討其機械性質與細胞生理性質的影響。結果顯示出交聯的電紡纖維在垂直方向的機械性質有提升同時有保留原本電紡纖維的排列性，共軛焦顯微鏡顯示出細胞種在交聯的材料並不會改變原本的細胞型態，但在受到機械刺激後，tenascin-C 的基因表現有所改變，代表交聯後的纖維結構在受到拉伸時的反應不同，這說明了交聯的結構會降低在微環境中的形變。未來希望藉由調整電紡纖維的孔隙度和降低交聯的溫度來達到更理想的機械性質來研究細胞的表現。

Native ligament is formed by aligned wavy collagen fiber. Previous study has shown that cells have better ECM production on biomimetic wavy electrospun fiber scaffold. But only having architecture similarity is insufficient. Collagen fibers are cross-linked in native tissue which contribute to material’s properties. The aim of this study is to generate bonding fiber and investigate the influence of biomimetic bonded electropsun fibers on material’s mechanical properties and cell physiology. Our results show that bonded fiber has better mechanical properties in transverse stretch without changes in fiber scaffold morphology. Confocal image and mRNA expression also shows that cell has no significant change in morphology and phenotype in bonding fiber. And gene expression response of tenascin-C to mechanical stimulation is different in bond group, which means the bonded fiber has different strain transfer in loading. Future studies will change porosity of PLLA fiber and reduce bonded temperature to optimized mechanical properties of the scaffold and investigate cell’s phenotype.