3D scanning probe nanotomography of tissue spheroid fibroblasts interacting with electrospun polyurethane scaffold

Abstract

We present a 3D study of nanostructural features of a bioprinted tissue spheroid interacting with polyurethane dual-scale biocompatible scaffold manufactured by three-dimensional printing and electrospinning. Three-dimensional analysis of fibroblasts interacting with electrospun polyurethane fibers was conducted using scanning probe nanotomography with an experimental setup combining ultramicrotome and a scanning probe microscope. Three-dimensional reconstruction demonstrates direct visualization of cell membrane protrusions and coherent cell-fiber interfaces, the formation of which is a prerequisite for an efficient tissue engineered implant. Analysis of obtained 3D data allows for quantitative calculation of the important morphological parameters of adhered cells, scaffolds, and cell-scaffold interfaces. The proposed method may be successfully applied to investigate 3D cell-scaffold constructs at nanoscale.