Gasotransmitter-releasing electrospun materials
Dr. Ralf Wyrwa, INNOVENT e. V., Jena
Abstracts:
The gases nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) are highly toxic substances in higher concentrations. In recent years, however, it has been shown that these gases, as so-called gasotransmitters, fulfill important biochemical functions in the organism at low concentrations and that they play an essential role, for example, in processes such as vasodilatation, inflammation, proliferation, mitochondrial biogenesis, apoptosis and neurotransmission. Electrospinning was used to provide nanofiber-based drug delivery systems that release NO or CO after irradiation with light.
Biochemical and biophysical parameters of the extracellular matrix influence numerous regenerative and pathological processes in the human body. For a better understanding of these processes as well as for the investigation of therapeutic intervention options, in vitro models are needed that mimic the physiological context as well as possible and offer high-resolution investigation possibilities.
We develop three-dimensional (3D) matrices based on natural biopolymers (collagen, fibrin, fibronectin, glycosaminoglycans) to provide a defined composition, microarchitecture (pore size, fibril thickness) and mechanics (elasticity) of the matrices. In addition, composite structures are formed from them to model tissue transitions. Using hydrogel-based microparticles, local gradients of soluble signal molecules (e.g. SDF1, TGFbeta, IL10) are optionally introduced to address specific cell-cell interactions.