Electrospun adherent-antiadherent bilayered membranes based on cross-linked hyaluronic acid for advanced tissue engineering applications

A procedure to obtain electrospun mats of hyaluronic acid (HA) stable in aqueous media in one single step has been developed. It consists in combining an HA solution with a divinyl sulfone one as cross-linker in a three-way valve to immediately electroblow their mixture. Membranes obtained with this method, after sterilization and conditioning, are ready to use in cell culture without need of any additional posttreatment. HA nanofibers are deposited onto previously electrospun poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) mats in order to obtain stably joined bilayered membranes with an adherent face and the opposite face non-adherent, despite their different hydrophilicity and mechanical properties. These bilayered HA/PLLA membranes may be of use, for example, in applications seeking to transplant cells on a tissue surface and keep them protected from the environment: the PLLA nanofiber face is cell friendly and promotes cell attachment and spreading and can thus be used as a cell supply vehicle,. while the HA face hinders cell adhesion and thus may prevent post-surgical adherences, a major issue in many surgeries. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.