Amoroso, Nicholas J
(2013)
Fabrication and Analysis of Complex Electrospun Scaffolds and Constructs.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Tissue construct mechanics are of pivotal importance in mechanically active tissues, particularly where the construct must assume a functional role immediately upon implantation and during the remodeling period. While numerous methods exist to generate porous scaffolds for tissue engineering, electrospinning has become increasingly applied as a means of generating microfibrillar scaffolds that provide surface structures roughly comparable in scale to that seen with ECM proteins such as collagen. Simple mechanical relationships have been explored in electrospun scaffolds such as simple fiber alignment to achieve planar anisotropy, however more thorough structure-function characterization has not been pursued to date. Further, the effect of cellular or other component incorporation has not been studied. An understanding of cellular function within scaffolds is critical for the design of seeded tissue constructs. For these reasons, this research aimed to gain an understanding of how structural and compositional modifications to electrospun scaffolds can result in a change in mechanical function and host response. This research question was approached through a series of directed modifications to the electrospinning process designed to alter the microenvironment within the scaffold. These micro-scale changes were related to tissue-level changes in both planar biaxial and flexural mechanical response. This knowledge was used to fabricate cellularized constructs for cardiac right ventricular outflow tract replacement in order to discern the fate and function of implanted cells within electrospun scaffolds. The results from this research can be combined with structural deterministic modeling in order to gain a more complete understanding of the mechanical and biological function of cellularized electrospun constructs and therefore help guide future work in the rational design of engineered tissues.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Amoroso, Nicholas J | nja15@pitt.edu | NJA15 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
25 September 2013 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
28 January 2013 |
| Approval Date: |
25 September 2013 |
| Submission Date: |
4 April 2013 |
| Access Restriction: |
1 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 1 year. |
| Number of Pages: |
149 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Swanson School of Engineering > Bioengineering |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Electrospinning
Tissue Engineering
Mechanical Response
Nanofiber Structure
Biomimetic
Cardiovascular Repair |
| Date Deposited: |
26 Sep 2014 05:00 |
| Last Modified: |
19 Dec 2016 14:40 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18185 |
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