Evaluation of the effects of decellularized umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly ECM on polyhydroxy butyrate electrospun scaffolds: A new strategy for cartilage tissue engineering

The field of regenerative medicine has recently witnessed the emergence of the allogeneic decellularized extracellular matrix as a scaffold with natural biological signals in tissue engineering. In the present study, to prevent immune rejection and disease transmission, Wharton's Jelly extracellular matrix (WJM) derived from the human umbilical cord was first decellularized (DWJM). Eventually, the fibrous scaffolds based on poly 3hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and five different concentrations (0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 wt%) of DWJM were fabricated through electrospinning. The results demonstrate reducing the diameter of the fibers, improved mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and degradation rate in the scaffold containing 3 wt % DWJM. Excellent biocompatibility and increased chondrocyte cell adherence rate on the substrate of PHB-DWJM 3 % scaffolds compared with pure PHB scaffolds can be attributed to the high amounts of Collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and hyaluronic acid (HA) in the DWJM. In conclusion, the physicochemical properties and biological activities of PHB-DWJM scaffolds indicate that blending DWJM with PHB electrospun scaffold can provide a suitable environment for articular cartilage tissue regeneration.