Nanostructured, Bioactive Polymer Fibers

本研究的目的是开发纳米纤维聚合物组织支架，其可有效再生新组织的生长，用于组织支架应用，包括骨科（骨，软骨），皮肤，牙齿和伤口愈合。静电纺丝将被用来产生具有纳米尺度的聚合物纤维。组成材料的不同组合和静电纺丝工艺的修改将用于开发具有不同层次复杂性和功能性程度的聚合物支架。一个生物启发的过程控制表面化学使用电泳沉积将被用来提高细胞的吸引力。实验也将进行，以阐明纳米纤维支架的降解速率和机制。如果成功的话，这项研究的结果将导致在聚合物组织支架的设计和合成的改进。 本研究的主要目标是开发聚合物组织支架，其模拟细胞外基质的尺寸尺度和化学性质，并具有可调的机械和物理性能。 电泳沉积工艺参数的控制，预计将产生新的见解如何支架表面的性质可以影响细胞粘附和生长。

The objective of this proposed research is for the development nanofibrous polymeric tissue scaffolds which are effective in regenerating the growth of new tissue for tissue scaffold applications, including orthopedic (bone, cartilage), skin, dental and wound healing. Electrospinning will be used to generate the polymeric fibers with nanoscopic dimensions. Varying combinations of constituent materials and modifications of the electrospinning process will be used to develop polymeric scaffolds with varying degrees of hierarchical complexity and functionality. A bio-inspired process of controlling surface chemistry using electrophoretic deposition will be utilized to enhance the cellular attraction. Experiments will also be conducted to elucidate the degradation rates and mechanisms of the nanofibrous scaffolds.If successful, the results of this research will lead to improvements in the design and synthesis of polymeric tissue scaffolds. The primary goal of this research is to develop polymeric tissue scaffolds which mimic the size scale and chemistry of the extra cellular matrix and possesses tunable mechanical and physical properties. Control of electrophoretic deposition process parameters is expected to generate new insight into how the nature of the scaffold surface can affect cellular adhesion and growth.