Platelet rich fibrin and simvastatin-loaded pectin-based 3D printed-electrospun bilayer scaffold for skin tissue regeneration

Abstract

Designing multifunctional wound dressings is a prerequisite to prevent infection and stimulate healing. In this study, a bilayer scaffold (BS) with a top layer (TL) comprising 3D printed pectin/polyacrylic acid/platelet rich fibrin hydrogel (Pec/PAA/PRF) and a bottom nanofibrous layer (NL) containing Pec/PAA/simvastatin (SIM) was produced. The biodegradable and biocompatible polymers Pec and PAA were cross-linked to form hydrogels via Ca2+ activation through galacturonate linkage and chelation, respectively. PRF as an autologous growth factor (GF) source and SIM together augmented angiogenesis and neovascularization. Because of 3D printing, the BS possessed a uniform distribution of PRF in TL and an average fiber diameter of 96.71 +/- 18.14 nm was obtained in NL. The Young's modulus of BS was recorded as 6.02 +/- 0.31 MPa and its elongation at break was measured as 30.16 +/- 2.70 . The wound dressing gradually released growth factors over 7 days of investigation. Furthermore, the BS significantly outperformed other groups in increasing cell viability and in vivo wound closure rate (95.80 +/- 3.47 after 14 days). Wounds covered with BS healed faster with more collagen deposition and reepithelialization. The results demonstrate that the BS can be a potential remedy for skin tissue regeneration.