Engineering cartilage tissue based on cartilage-derived extracellular matrix cECM/PCL hybrid nanofibrous scaffold

Abstract Extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from decellularized tissues and organs has been used as a biological scaffold in a variety of pre-clinical and clinical applications. However, the lack of mechanical properties and shape controllability is a drawback. In contrast, synthetic polymers can be easily engineered with good mechanical performance, but they have limited biological functionality. In this study, we explored a new method to electrospun cartilage-derived extracellular matrix (cECM) and polycaprolactone (PCL) composite nanofibrous membranes. The cartilage is a compact tissue for which electrospinning is difficult. To overcome this problem, the cartilage was sliced into pieces, milled into powders, and digested into a looser structure. The cECM/PCL (mass ratio 50:50) hybrid nanofibers appeared to be smooth, thinner, and uniform with enhanced mechanical properties and wettability compared to the electrospun PCL. Meanwhile, the presence of cECM in the cECM/PCL nanofibrous membranes significantly promoted chondrocyte proliferation in vitro and facilitated cartilage regeneration in vivo. All these results indicate that the cECM/PCL nanofibrous membranes fabricated with good mechanical properties and biocompatibility may represent a promising scaffold for cartilage regeneration. Moreover, this work may offer a convenient and cost-effective method to synthesize ECM-based hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds for other tissue applications.