FIBROUS SCAFFOLDS FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING

Abstract

INTERFACIAL POLYELECTROLYTE COMPLEX (IPC) FIBERS HAVE PROVEN TO BE A ROBUST AND CELL-FRIENDLY BIOLOGICAL SCAFFOLD FOR PROTEINS AND LIVING CELLS DUE TO THEIR AQUEOUS, MILD PH FORMATION AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. THEY ARE SUITABLE FOR SUPPORTING HEPATOCYTES, CHONDROCYTES, MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS AND EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS AMONGST OTHERS. ALSO, ENCAPSULATED PROTEINS REMAIN BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE WITHIN THE FIBER SCAFFOLDS.

THIS THESIS EXPANDS UPON THE SCOPE OF IPC FIBERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS AS A BIOLOGICAL SCAFFOLD FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING. IPC FIBER SCAFFOLDS HAVE THE DRAWBACKS OF BEING HARD TO HANDLE, BEING DIFFICULT TO SPATIALLY ORGANIZE AND HAVING A LIMITED SUBSTRATE SCOPE. BY DEVELOPING NEW FABRICATION METHODS AND MATERIALS, THIS THESIS AIMS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND INCREASE THE APPLICABILITY OF IPC FIBER SCAFFOLDS IN TISSUE ENGINEERING.