Polycaprolactone Nanofibers Containing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Encapsulated Gelatin Particles Enhance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation and Angiogenesis of Endothelial Cells

During the regeneration of tissues and organs, growth factors (GFs) play a vital role by affecting cell behavior. However, because of the low half-life time and quick degradation of GFs, their stimulations on cells are relatively short and discontinuous. In this study, a releasing scaffold platform, consisting of polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-encapsulated gelatin particles, was developed to extend the influence of GFs on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and endothelial cells (ECs). The results showed that this kind of scaffold can direct the differentiation of MSCs to ECs and maintain the stability of the tubular structure, an indicator of the angiogenesis ability of ECs, for an extended period of time. Therefore, the results suggest the potential application of PCL/VEGF-encapsulated gelatin particles (PCL/VGPs) as a growth factor (GF)-releasing scaffold platform in vascular tissue engineering.