Self-Adjusting, Polymeric Multilayered Roll that can Keep the Shapes of the Blood Vessel Scaffolds during Biodegradation

A self-adjusting, blood vessel-mimicking, multilayered tubular structure with two polymers, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), can keep the shape of the scaffold during biodegradation. The inner (PCL) layer of the tube can expand whereas the outer (PLGA) layers will shrink to maintain the stability of the shape and the inner space of the tubular shape both in vitro and in vivo over months. This approach can be generally useful for making scaffolds that require the maintenance of a defined shape, based on FDA-approved materials.

A method to fabricate a self-adjusting, blood vessel-mimicking, multilayered structure with two polymers, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), by combining electrospinning, stress-induced rolling membrane, and microfluidic techniques is reported. This structure can sustain the geometry of the artificial blood vessel over long periods of in vitro/in vivo culture due to the counteraction and mechanical balance of the PCL/PLGA layers.

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