Page 138 - Tailoring Electrospinning Techniques for Regenerative Medicine - Marc Simonet

CHAPTER 6
Figure 6.8 SEM pictures of the explants showing the holes and microcracks in the polymer fibers (a) explanted a er 4 weeks, (b) explanted a er 5 weeks.
5 weeks showed holes and microcracks indicating that failure of the PCL2kU4Un sca olds may be more due to local degradation, erosion and disappearance rather than loss of polymer molecular weight in the whole sca old with subsequent loss of mechanical properties and function. The degradation pathway of these supramolecular polymers is currently investigated and will be published separately.
Initially, the valves implanted in this study performed very well, they carried initial mechanical loads, cells adhered to the sca old and tissue was produced. For future applications, long term durability of the sca old should be adjusted by
changing the degradation rate of the sca old. The synthetic nature of the PCL2kU4Un material allows for adapting to these challenges, as the molecular features of the material can be tuned and tailored. Future studies will have to focus on the balance between the degradation of the synthetic polymer and the formation of tissue in the valve implant. Finally, to enable minimal invasive surgery and also for a future pediatric application, the inner reinforcement ring should be removed or replaced by a degradable material.
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