Modification of PLGA Nanofibrous Mats by Electron Beam Irradiation for Soft Tissue Regeneration

Abstract EN

Biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) has found widespread use in modern medical practice.

However, the degradation rate of PLGA should be adjusted for specific biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and surgical implantation.

This study focused on the effect of electron beam radiation on nanofibrous PLGA mats in terms of physical properties and degradation behavior with cell proliferation.

PLGA nanofiber mats were prepared by electrospinning, and electron beam was irradiated at doses of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 kGy.

PLGA mats showed dimensional integrity after electron beam irradiation without change of fiber diameter.

The degradation behavior of a control PLGA nanofiber (0 kGy) and electron beam-irradiated PLGA nanofibers was analyzed by measuring the molecular weight, weight loss, change of chemical structure, and fibrous morphology.

The molecular weight of the PLGA nanofibers decreased with increasing electron beam radiation dose.

The mechanical properties of the PLGA nanofibrous mats were decreased with increasing electron beam irradiation dose.

Cell proliferation behavior on all electron beam irradiated PLGA mats was similar to the control PLGA mats.

Electron beam irradiation of PLGA nanofibrous mats is a potentially useful approach for modulating the biodegradation rate of tissue-specific nonwoven nanofibrous scaffolds, specifically for soft tissue engineering applications.