Optimizing the alignment of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering applications: A factorial design of experiments approach.

ABSTRACT: Thermoresponsive polymers, such as poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM), have been identified and used as cell culture substrates, taking advantage of the polymer's lower critical solution temperature (LCST) to mechanically harvest cells. This technology bypasses the use of biochemical enzymes that cleave important cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In this study, the process of electrospinning is used to fabricate and characterize aligned PNIPAM nanofiber scaffolds that are biocompatible and thermoresponsive. Nanofiber scaffolds produced by electrospinning possess a 3D architecture that mimics native extracellular matrix, providing physical and chemical cues to drive cell function and phenotype. We present a factorial design of experiments (DOE) approach to systematically determine

SUBMITTER: Young RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6611625 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature