Ideal artificial tissue scaffolds should provide an in vitro microenvironment comparable to native human skin tissue to direct cell functions, regulate tissue homeostasis, and promote tissue regeneration. A sandwich-like composite scaffold consisting of a hydrogel layer and two aligned nanofibre layers was fabricated and applied as a wound-healing dressing. Gentamicin was preloaded into the hydrogel middle layer and naturally released for antibacterial activity during the healing period. Nanofibrous layers embedded on the top and bottom surfaces of the hydrogel improved the tensile strength fivefold (1560 kPa and 465% strain) while serving as a diffusion barrier to reduce the gentamicin initial burst release (30%-15%). Inspired by the extracellular matrix (ECM), the surface of nanofibre top layer was patterned with triangular microarrays using micro-moulding approach to reflect the multidimensional structure of ECM. Biocompatibility of the scaffold is proven from cytotoxicity and haemolysis studies. Fibroblast cells revealed a highly elongated and consistent alignment modulated by the micropatterned fibrous layer and directed their migration towards the wound area. Excisional wounds treated with the scaffold promoted 97.49% wound closure with low inflammation and rapid re-epithelialization and angiogenesis. This scaffold, with its tailored functionality capable of accelerating wound healing, has high potential in tissue engineering applications.
Keywords: Micropattern nanofibre; Nanofibre/hydrogel scaffold; Tissue regeneration; Topographical effect; Wound healing.
© 2022 The Authors.