![]() The high exposed nanofiber surface area (surface-to-volume ratio) aids in the encapsulation and release of bioactive compounds, within therapeutic limits. In addition, the fibrous architecture generated promotes cellular activity by resembling the extracellular matrix (ECM) of native tissues. One main advantage offered by this technique is flexible material selection, as a variety of biocompatible and/or biodegradable materials can easily be processed, including synthetic polymers, naturally derived polymers, and nanocomposites. The biomedical sector particularly benefits from electrospinning for the development of advanced systems that are relevant to tissue engineering and drug delivery ( Mele, 2016 Denchai et al., 2018 Rahmati et al., 2020). Examples include solution electrospinning, melt electrospinning, multi-jet electrospinning, needleless electrospinning, coaxial electrospinning, and near-field electrospinning ( dos Santos et al., 2020). Modifications of the standard electrospinning set-up have been proposed over the years to achieve control over fibers’ density, degree of alignment, porosity, chemical composition, and production rate. The polymer jet stretches, decreases in diameter, and solidifies before reaching the collector, where a network of solid fibers is deposited. The jet is usually a polymer solution or melt, while a metallic needle connected to a syringe is used as spinneret, and a plate, disk or cylinder can be used as metallic collector ( Guzman-Puyol et al., 2016). A typical electrospinning process consists in ejecting an electrified polymer jet from the tip of a spinneret by applying a voltage (more than tens of kV) between the spinneret and a conductive collector. We discuss how cellular behavior (attachment, migration, and differentiation) is influenced by the co-existence of these micro- and nano-features.Įlectrospinning is a nanofabrication technique based on the use of high electric voltages to produce polymeric fibers with micro-to nanometer diameters and distinct morphological features ( Xue et al., 2019 Jain et al., 2020). Here, we present recent insights into the advances on hybrid scaffolds produced by combining electrospinning (melt electrospinning excluded) and AM, specifically multi-layered architectures consisting of alternating fibers and AM elements, and bioinks reinforced with fibers prior to AM. Hence, adopting both technologies together appears to be a progressive step in pursuit of scaffolds that better match the natural architecture of human tissues. AM, on the other hand, offers unrivalled levels of geometrical freedom, allowing highly complex components (i.e., patient-specific) to be built inexpensively within 24 hours. Electrospinning technology is favored for its ability to produce micro- to nanometer fibers from polymer solutions and melts, of which, the dimensions, alignment, porosity, and chemical composition are easily manipulatable to the desired application. Electrospinning and Additive Manufacturing (AM) are two contrasting processing technologies that have gained popularity amongst the fields of medical research i.e., tissue engineering, implant design, drug delivery. The final biochemical and mechanical performance of an implant or scaffold are defined by its structure, as well as the raw materials and processing conditions used during its fabrication. 2Materials Department, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom.1Department of Neurosurgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. ![]()
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