A novel small-diameter eggshell membrane/TPU double-layered vascular scaffold with wavy structure

In this study, a double-layer small-diameter vascular scaffold mimicking the wavy structure and mechanical properties of native blood vessels was developed. It was found that eggshell membrane (ESM) could provide an extracellular matrix (ECM) environment for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. The avian eggshell membrane has a fibrous structure and has long been utilized in Chinese medicine for recovery from burn injuries and wounds in Asian countries. Therefore, ESM is expected to be an excellent natural material for biomedical use. However, its low mechanical properties have hampered its use in scaffold applications. Herein, we use synthetic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers combined with ESM via electrospinning using a wavy cross-section rotating collector. The purpose of combining these two materials was to leverage the bioactivity of ESM with the tunable mechanical properties of TPU. The circumferentially wavy biomimetic configuration provides the scaffolds with a sufficient toe region and capacity for long-term usage under repeated dilatation and contraction.