Accelerating Cell Migration along Radially Aligned Nanofibers through the Addition of Electrosprayed Nanoparticles in a Radial Density Gradient

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jiajia Xue, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University; Jichuan Qiu, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University; Younan Xia, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-04-01
• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppsc.202100280
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PARTICLE & PARTICLE SYSTEMS CHARACTERIZATION
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 4
• Keywords: electrosprayed nanoparticles; Radially-aligned nanofibers; cell migration; radial density gradient

Abstract

Scaffolds capable of promoting cell migration from the periphery towards the center along the radial direction hold promises for tissue regeneration. Here we report a simple and general method based on masked electrospray for the fabrication of such scaffolds by depositing collagen nanoparticles on radially-aligned nanofibers in a radial density gradient. Placed between the metallic needle and the collector, an aperture with tunable opening sizes serves as the mask. By increasing the size of the opening at a fixed speed, the electrosprayed particles take a radial density gradient that decreases from the center to the periphery. When deposited on a glass slide, the radial density gradient of collagen nanoparticles promotes the migration of fibroblasts from the periphery towards the center. By replacing the glass slide with a scaffold comprised of radially-aligned nanofibers, a synergetic effect arises to further accelerate cell migration along the radial direction. The synergistic effect can be attributed to a unique combination of the topographic cue arising from the aligned nanofibers and the haptotactic cue enabled by the graded nanoparticles. This work demonstrates a method to maximize cell migration from the periphery towards the center through a combination of topographic and haptotactic cues.