Evaluation of electrospun PCL/gelatin nanofibrous scaffold for wound healing and layered dermal reconstitution q E.J. Chong a , T.T. Phan b,c , I.J. Lim b,c , Y.Z. Zhang b , B.H. Bay d , S. Ramakrishna a,b,e , C.T. Lim a,b,e, * a Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Singapore b Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Singapore c Department of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore d Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, 4 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore e Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Singapore Received 17 July 2006; received in revised form 19 January 2007; accepted 19 January 2007 Abstract The current design requirement for a tissue engineering skin substitute is that of a biodegradable scaffold through which fibro- blasts can migrate and populate. This artificial ‘‘dermal layer’’ needs to adhere to and integrate with the wound, which is not always successful for the current artificial dermal analogues available. The high cost of these artificial dermal analogues also makes their application prohibitive both to surgeons and patients. We propose a cost-effective composite consisting of a nanofibrous scaffold directly electrospun onto a polyurethane dressing (Tegaderm TM , 3M Medical) – which we call the Tegaderm-nanofiber (TG-NF) con- struct – for dermal wound healing. Cell culture is performed on both sides of the nanofibrous scaffold and tested for fibroblast adhe- sion and proliferation. It is hoped that these studies will result in a fibroblast-populated three-dimensional dermal analogue that is feasible for layered applications to build up thickness of dermis prior to re-epithelialization. Results obtained in this study suggest that both the TG-NF construct and dual-sided fibroblast-populated nanofiber construct achieved significant cell adhesion, growth and proliferation. This is a successful first step for the nanofiber construct in establishing itself as a suitable three-dimensional scaf- fold for autogenous fibroblast populations, and providing great potential in the treatment of dermal wounds through layered application. Ó 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Electrospinning; Nanofiber; Nanofibrous scaffolds; Wound dressing; Skin tissue engineering 1. Introduction The skin is the largest organ in the body, covering the entire external surface and forming about 8% of the total body mass. Its surface area varies with the height and weight of a person. The thickness of skin varies from 1.5 to 4.0 mm, and is dependent on skin maturity (aging) and body region. The skin forms a self-renewing and self- repairing interface between the body and the environment. It provides an effective barrier against microbial invasion, and has properties that can protect against mechanical, chemical, osmotic, thermal and photo damage. It is capable of adsorption and excretion, and is selectively permeable to certain chemical substances [1]. Skin also has good frictional properties, assisting loco- motion and manipulation by its texture. Being elastic, it can be stretched and compressed within limits. The general 1742-7061/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2007.01.002 q Research presented at the TMS 2006 Biological Materials Science Symposium. * Corresponding author. Address: Division of Bioengineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Tel.: +65 6516 7801; fax: +65 6779 1459. E-mail address: ctlim@nus.edu.sg (C.T. Lim). Acta Biomaterialia 3 (2007) 321–330 www.elsevier.com/locate/actabiomat