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7
Electrospun Scaffolds of Biodegradable Polyesters:
Manufacturing and Biomedical Application
Patricia Pranke, Daniel E. Weibel, and Daikelly I. Braghirolli

7.1
Introduction

Polymeric materials have been applied successfully in many different fields,
such as in membrane and thin-film technology, sensors, adhesion, protective
coatings, microelectronic devices, composites, and other applications. Indeed,
in the field of medical and related applications, polymers have been used exten-
sively for decades and in particular in the last three decades a paradigm shift
from bio-stable biomaterials to biodegradable (hydrolytically and enzymatically
degradable) biomaterials has been observed [1]. It is expected that in the near
future many of the permanent prosthetic devices used nowadays for temporary
therapeutic applications will be replaced by biodegradable devices. These new
medical tools could help the body to repair and regenerate damaged tissue in a
natural way. The emergence of novel biomedical technologies, including tissue
engineering, gene therapy, controlled drug delivery, and bionanotechnology are
the main driving force for the aforementioned movement.
Current biomaterial research has contributed to major advances in regenerative
medicine. In tissue engineering, cell therapy is complemented with biomateri-
als to be applied to damaged tissue and to assist in its repair. Biomaterials act
as scaffolds, providing an initial supportive environment in which seeded cells
can organize themselves and produce extracellular matrix (ECM) for subsequent
regeneration of the damaged tissue [2]. An ideal scaffold should exhibit certain
characteristics for successful application, such as (i) adequate architecture for cell
attachment and proliferation, (ii) high number of interconnected pores for cell
growth and transport of nutrients and metabolic waste, and (iii) mechanical prop-
erties suitable for its manipulation at the implantation site [3]. For these reasons,
the selection of biomaterial types and their processing for the creation of the scaf-
folds are the most important factors for successful tissue reconstruction using
tissue engineering principles.
Scaffolds can be produced from a variety of materials, including metals, ceram-
ics, and polymers. In dental and bone implants, metallic alloys are preferred
[4, 5], while ceramics with good osteoconductivity have been used for bone tissue

Biodegradable Polyesters, First Edition. Edited by Stoyko Fakirov.
© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Published 2015 by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.