Electric field bridging-effect in electrified microfibrils' scaffolds

Sara Fontana; Laura Caramazza; Paolo Marracino; Irene Cuenca Ortolá; Micol Colella; Noemi Dolciotti; Alessandra Paffi; Fernando Gisbert Roca; Sergiy Ivashchenko; Jorge Más Estellés; Claudia Consales; Marco Balucani; Francesca Apollonio; Micaela Liberti

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1264406

Electric field bridging-effect in electrified microfibrils' scaffolds

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Oct 25:11:1264406. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1264406. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sara Fontana^{1

2}, Laura Caramazza^{1

2}, Paolo Marracino³, Irene Cuenca Ortolá⁴, Micol Colella¹, Noemi Dolciotti¹, Alessandra Paffi¹, Fernando Gisbert Roca⁴, Sergiy Ivashchenko⁴, Jorge Más Estellés⁴, Claudia Consales⁵, Marco Balucani³, Francesca Apollonio^{1

2}, Micaela Liberti^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ BioEM Lab, Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications (DIET), Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
² Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy.
³ Rise Technology S.R.L, Rome, Italy.
⁴ Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain.
⁵ Division of Health Protection Technologies, ENEA-Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: The use of biocompatible scaffolds combined with the implantation of neural stem cells, is increasingly being investigated to promote the regeneration of damaged neural tissue, for instance, after a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). In particular, aligned Polylactic Acid (PLA) microfibrils' scaffolds are capable of supporting cells, promoting their survival and guiding their differentiation in neural lineage to repair the lesion. Despite its biocompatible nature, PLA is an electrically insulating material and thus it could be detrimental for increasingly common scaffolds' electric functionalization, aimed at accelerating the cellular processes. In this context, the European RISEUP project aims to combine high intense microseconds pulses and DC stimulation with neurogenesis, supported by a PLA microfibrils' scaffold. Methods: In this paper a numerical study on the effect of microfibrils' scaffolds on the E-field distribution, in planar interdigitated electrodes, is presented. Realistic microfibrils' 3D CAD models have been built to carry out a numerical dosimetry study, through Comsol Multiphysics software. Results: Under a voltage of 10 V, microfibrils redistribute the E-field values focalizing the field streamlines in the spaces between the fibers, allowing the field to pass and reach maximum values up to 100 kV/m and values comparable with the bare electrodes' device (without fibers). Discussion: Globally the median E-field inside the scaffolded electrodes is the 90% of the nominal field, allowing an adequate cells' exposure.

Keywords: biocompatible scaffold; dosimetry; electric stimulation; microfibrils; numerical modeling; tissue engineering.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work has been developed in the framework of and supported by the FET-OPEN RISEUP project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 964562). ICO acknowledges the grant PRE2019-090716 co-funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future” for supporting her visiting student stay at Sapienza, University of Rome. FGR acknowledges Vicerrectorado de Investigación de la Universitat Politècnica de València (PAID-10-22) for co-funding with RISEUP project his fellowship.