Published in

MDPI, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 4(24), p. 3535, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043535

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Acceleration of Electrospun PLA Degradation by Addition of Gelatin

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Biocompatible polyesters are widely used in biomedical applications, including sutures, orthopedic devices, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering scaffolds. Blending polyesters with proteins is a common method of tuning biomaterial properties. Usually, it improves hydrophilicity, enhances cell adhesion, and accelerates biodegradation. However, inclusion of proteins to a polyester-based material typically reduces its mechanical properties. Here, we describe the physicochemical properties of an electrospun polylactic acid (PLA)–gelatin blend with a 9:1 PLA:gelatin ratio. We found that a small content (10 wt%) of gelatin does not affect the extensibility and strength of wet electrospun PLA mats but significantly accelerates their in vitro and in vivo decomposition. After a month, the thickness of PLA–gelatin mats subcutaneously implanted in C57black mice decreased by 30%, while the thickness of the pure PLA mats remained almost unchanged. Thus, we suggest the inclusion of a small amount of gelatin as a simple tool to tune the biodegradation behavior of PLA mats.