Tissue regeneration requires 3-dimensional (3D) smart materials as scaffolds to promote transport of nutrients. To mimic mechanical properties of extracellular matrices, biocompatible polymers have been widely studied and a diverse range of 3D scaffolds have been produced. We propose the use of responsive polymeric materials to create dynamic substrates for cell culture, which goes beyond desig...

For studies of neuronal cell integration and neurite outgrowth in polymeric scaffold materials as a future alternative for the treatment of damages in the neuronal system, we have developed a protocol employing CARS microscopy for imaging of neuronal networks. The benefits of CARS microscopy come here to their best use; (i) the overall three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of multiple cells and th...

Polycaprolactone/polyurethane (PCL/PU) fibrous scaffold was loaded with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) by electrospinning method to improve the hemocompatibility of the polymeric surface. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observation were employed to characterize the chemical structure and the changing morphology of electrospun PCL/P...

Various synthetic and natural biomaterials have been used for regeneration of tissues and hollow organs. However, clinical outcome of reconstructive procedures remained challenging due to the lack of appropriate scaffold materials, supporting the needs of various cell types and providing a barrier function required in hollow organs. To address these problems, we have developed a bilayered hybri...

For some bone tissue engineering strategies, direct contact of newly synthesized bone with a scaffold is important for structural continuity and stability at the scaffold/bone interface. Thus, as the polymer degrades, the support function of the scaffold could be adopted by the developing bone structure. This study was designed to determine whether poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) with a comonomer...

The design of composite tissue scaffolds containing an extracellular matrix (ECM) and synthetic polymer fibers is a new approach to create bioactive scaffolds that can enhance cell function. Currently, studies investigating the effects of ECM-deposition and decellularization on polymer degradation are still lacking, as are data on optimizing the stability of the ECM-containing composite scaffol...

Remotely-triggerable drug delivery systems enable the user to adjust dosing regimens on-demand based on a patient's physiological response and clinical needs. However, currently reported systems are limited by the non-specific leakage of drugs in the absence of triggering and the lack of repeatability over multiple cycles of release. To this end, we have designed a unique hydrogel-nanoparticle ...

Infrapatellar fat pad adipose stem cells (IPFP-ASCs) have been shown to harbor chondrogenic potential. When combined with 3D polymeric structures, the stem cells provide a source of stem cells to engineer 3D tissues for cartilage repair. In this study, we have shown human IPFP-ASCs seeded onto 3D printed chitosan scaffolds can undergo chondrogenesis using TGFβ3 and BMP6. By week 4, a pearlescen...