In vitro evaluation of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polyisoprene fibers for soft tissue engineering

The polymeric blend of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and polyisoprene (PI) has recently been explored for application as stents for tracheal stenosis and spring for the treatment of craniosynostosis. From the positive results presented in other biomedical applications comes the possibility of investigating the application of this material as scaffold for tissue engineering (TE), acquiring a deeper knowledge about the polymeric blend by exploring a new processing technique while attending to the most fundamental demands of TE scaffolds. PLGA/PI was processed into randomly oriented microfibers through the dripping technique and submitted to physical-chemical and in vitro characterization. The production process of fibers did not show an effect over the polymer's chemical composition, despite the fact that PLGA and PI were observed to be immiscible. Mechanical assays reinforce the suitability of these scaffolds for soft tissue applications. Skeletal muscle cells demonstrated increases in metabolic activity and proliferation to the same levels of the control group. Human dermal fibroblasts didn't show the same behaviour, but presented cell growth with the same development profile as presented in the control group. It is plausible to believe that PLGA/PI fibrous three-dimensional scaffolds are suitable for applications in soft tissue engineering. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.