Interaction of dermal fibroblasts with electrospun composite polymer scaffolds prepared from dextran and poly lactide-co-glycolide

A highly porous electrospun scaffold was prepared by physically blending Dextran and poly lactide-co-glycolide (PLGA). The interaction between dermal fibroblasts and the Dextran/PLGA scaffold such as viability, proliferation. attachment. migration. extracellular matrix deposition, cytoskeleton organization and the functional gene expressions were characterized. The results indicated that cells interacted favorably with the scaffold. Moreover, cells migrated into the highly porous three dimensional matrix of the scaffold and organized into dense multi-layered structures that resembled dermal structure. The results of collagen gel assay also revealed that gel contraction was enhanced by the presence of the scaffold. The additional mechanical strength provided by the scaffold could enhance the binding of the seeded fibroblasts. These findings suggested that Dextran/PLGA scaffold can potentially be useful in enhancing the healing of chronic or trauma wounds. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.