Gas-foamed poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers facilitate fibroblast infiltration

Abstract

The combination of electrospinning and gas foaming technique enables the productionof hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) mats with a 3D nanofibrous architecture,exhibiting promising features for cellular infiltration. The resulting materials have fiberdiameters in the range of hundreds of nanometers and retain their hydrophilicity aftercrosslinking with citric acid, preventing dissolution. The mats expand their thickness byc.a. 760%, while preserving the scaffolds properties in its 3D form. Biological assaysconfirm the cell viability upon exposure to these 3D nanofibrous scaffolds and theircapacity to favour the infiltration of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. These preliminary resultssuggest potential applications in tissue regeneration processes.