Impact of electrospun Tecophilic/gelatin scaffold biofunctionalization on proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells

Abstract

Nanofibrous composite scaffolds based on Tecophilic (TP) and gelatin (gel) were electrospun, and further modification of their surfaces was performed by the adsorption of gelatin or fibronectin biomolecules. The ability of coated scaffolds to alter the proliferation rate of Smooth Muscle Cells (SMCs) was investigated via various assays and compared to cell proliferation on non-coated scaffolds. The results confirmed the potential of both coated and non-coated composite scaffolds to support SMC growth. Although the presence of fibronectin increased the proliferation, adsorbed gelatin could reduce the proliferation of SMCs. The success of a tissue-engineered vascular graft depends on the ability of the scaffold to control the proliferation rate of SMCs; thus, our study provides a better insight into the fabrication of functional constructs for vascular regeneration.