Electrospun blends of natural and synthetic polymer fibers as tissue engineering scaffolds

• US 20060263417A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drexel University
• Original Assignee: Drexel University
• Inventors: Lelkes, Peter I., Ko, Frank, Mondrinos, Mark, Li, Mengyan
• Granted Patent: US 8,048,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/26 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/00 Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof foodstuff preparations A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 25/14 Scaffolds; Matrices in general C12N5/0068
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0038 the fibre formed by solvent evaporation, i.e. dry electro-spinning
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/92 of polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2525 Coating or impregnation functions biologically [e.g., insect repellent, antiseptic, insecticide, bactericide, etc.]

Abstract

Non-woven fibrous scaffolds made by electrospinning from the synthetic biodegradable polymer such as, for example, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and natural proteins, such as, for example, gelatin (denatured collagen) and elastin and a method of making thereof.

Claims

1. A fiber comprising an electroprocessed blend of at least one synthetic polymer and at least two natural polymers without crosslinking, wherein one of the at least two natural polymers is elastin or a pro-form of elastin or an elastin-like materials.

2. The fiber of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two natural polymers is gelatin.

3. The fiber of claim 1, wherein said synthetic polymer is at least one of poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), poly (lactic acid) (PLA), poly (glycolic acid) (PGA), and the copolymers poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) or polyaniline.

4. The fiber of claim 1, wherein said electroprocessed blend is an electrospun blend.

5. The fiber of claim 4, wherein said electrospun blend comprises said synthetic polymer, denatured collagen and elastin at a ratio of 3:

1;

2 (v/v/v).

6. The fiber of claim 4, wherein said electrospun blend comprises said synthetic polymer, denatured collagen and elastin at a ratio of 2:

2;

2 (v/v/v).

7. A scaffold made from the fiber of claim 1.

8. The scaffold of claim 7, further comprising a cell.

9. A method of making a fiber of claim 1, the method comprising providing a blend of at least one synthetic polymer and at least two natural polymers without crosslinking, wherein one of the at least two natural polymers is elastin or a pro-form of elastin or an elastin-like materials;

and

electroprocessing the blend to form the fiber.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said electroprocessing is electrospinning.

11. A method of using a scaffold of claim 7, the method comprising contacting the scaffold with a cell.

12. The scaffold of claim 7, further comprising a pharmaceutical agent.

13. The fiber of claim 4, further comprising a pharmaceutical agent.

14. The fiber of claim 4, wherein collagen is excluded.