Electrospun synthetic human elastin:collagen composite scaffolds for dermal tissue engineering

We present an electrospun synthetic human elastin:collagen composite scaffold aimed at dermal tissue engineering. The panel of electrospun human tropoelastin and ovine type I collagen blends comprised 80% tropoelastin + 20% collagen, 60% tropoelastin + 40% collagen and 50% tropoelastin + 50% collagen. Electrospinning efficiency decreased with increasing collagen content under the conditions used. Physical and mechanical characterization encompassed fiber morphology, porosity, pore size and modulus, which were prioritized to identify the optimal candidate for dermal tissue regeneration. Scaffolds containing 80% tropoelastin and 20% collagen (80T20C) were selected on this basis for further cell interaction and animal implantation studies. 80T20C enhanced proliferation and migration rates of dermal fibroblasts in vitro and were well tolerated in a mouse subcutaneous implantation study where they persisted over 6 weeks. The 80T20C scaffolds supported fibroblast infiltration, de novo collagen deposition and new capillary formation.