One of the core benefits of an electrospun polymeric (Bio-Spun™) materials is that it structurally mimics the natural biological scaffold onto which native human tissue grows, called extracellular matrix. This similarity to extracellular matrix encourages natural healing and tissue integration, even when using strong and biodurable electrospun polymers. This quality of healing is not achieved with woven and knitted biomaterials, which are the current industry standard. The images below illustrate the stark difference between the microstructure of (a) current woven textile device and (b) naturally-occurring extracellular matrix and (c) our Bio-Spun™ materials.
Standard Woven Textile Material
Natural Extracellular Matrix
Bio-Spun™ Material
Fiber Size Matters
Evaluation of our Bio-Spun™ materials in benchtop or in preclinical studies shows excellent cell and tissue integration. Upon implantation, small blood cell (capillary) formation also occurs.
Biologic Scaffold (Gold Standard) Versus Bio-Spun™ Synthetic Scaffold
Biologic proteins such as collagen are typically used to grow various tissues from the body such as skin as shown here. The goal of this type of process is to form a full thickness skin layer to use to evaluate disease progression or as a screening tool for drugs. For this study, human skin cells seeded on standard (collagen) or Bio-Spun™ scaffolds. Keratinocytes (pink) and fibroblasts (purple) seeded onto both scaffolds grew similarly on both scaffolds, demonstrating that a synthetic material can be used as a substitute for biologic proteins.
Theracyte Cell Chamber (Current Standard) Versus Bio-Spun™ Cell Chamber
Our Bio-Spun™ Cell Chambers are being developed to deliver a target cell into the body. These cells can either be genetically-modified to deliver a drug or can provide a direct biologic effect (i.e. islet cell that provides insulin). In this preclinical study the current gold standard for cell chamber devices (Theracyte) has poor tissue incorporation and minimal drug release. In contrasts, healing and drug delivery from the Bio-Spun™ Cell Chamber was vastly superior to the Theracyte device. Cell healing of the Bio-Spun™ device, as shown in purple dot staining, at 30 days was grossly greater than the Theracyte device, with both devices effectively protecting the loaded cells.