Fabrication of LaCl₃‐containing nanofiber scaffolds and their application in skin wound healing

Abstract

ABSTRACT Poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) (PCL)/gelatin (GE) nanofiber scaffolds with varying concentrations of lanthanum chloride (LaCl 3 , from 0 to 25 m M ) were fabricated by electrospinning. The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle and porosity measurements, mechanical strength tests, and in vitro degradation studies. In vitro cytotoxicity and cell adhesion and proliferation studies were performed to assess the biocompatibility of the scaffolds, and in vivo wound healing studies were conducted to assess scaffold applications in the clinic. All prepared scaffolds were noncytotoxic, and the growth of adipose tissue–derived stem cells on LaCl 3 ‐containing scaffolds was better than on the pure PCL/GE scaffold. Cell proliferation studies showed the greatest cell growth in the PCL/GE/LaCl 3 scaffolds. Further, in vivo studies proved that the PCL/GE/LaCl 3 scaffolds can promote wound healing. The results suggest that nanofiber scaffolds containing LaCl 3 promote cell proliferation and have good biocompatibility, and thus potential for application in the treatment of skin wounds. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135 , 46672.