Producing nanofiber structures by electrospinning for tissue engineering

Publisher Summary Biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric biomaterials are used to develop biological matrices or scaffolds not only for tissue engineering but also for various biomedical applications, including wound dressings, membrane filters, and drug delivery. These materials include synthetic polymers and natural biopolymers. The natural materials are of considerable interest due to their structural properties and superior biocompatibility. Electrospinning is a unique method capable of producing nanoscale fibers. The simplicity of the electrospinning process to generate nanofibers makes it an ideal process for scaffold fabrication. In the electrospinning process, an electric field is generated between an oppositely charged polymer fluid and a collection screen, the electrode. Tissue Engineering is the application of principles and methods of engineering, and the life sciences toward the fundamental understanding of structure/function relationships in normal and pathological mammalian tissues, and the development of biological substitutes to restore and maintain or improve functions. Nanoscale fibrous materials are the ideal candidates for tissue engineering scaffolds because of their high surface area to volume ratio, greater porosity, and pore-size distribution.