Synthesis and Evaluation of Nanofibrous Scaffolds containing bioactive Silibinin on the expression of interleukin-2 in mesenchymal stem cells: possible application in spinal cord injury repair

Background: Spinal cord injury(SCI) is a nervous system disorder that often results in loss of motor, sensory, and automatic functions. The pathophysiological features of chronic SCI are glial scar and cavity formation: an effective therapy will require contribution of different disciplines such as materials science, cell biology, drug delivery and nanotechnology. One of the biggest challenges in SCI regeneration is to create an artificial scaffold that could mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and support nervous system regeneration. Moreover, in remedial medical treatments, the availability of tissue engineering scaffolds that reduce inflammatory conditions is of great interest. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of electrospun nanofiber scaffolds containing natural substances with anti-inflammatory properties such as Silibinin to control of inflammation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Methods: The scaffolds were fabricated based on the polycaprolactone (PCL) containing Silibinin (Sil) as a bioactive material by electrospinning. Fabrication of these nanofibers was confirmed by SEM and FTIR. The proliferation of MSCs on scaffolds was evaluated using the MTT assay. To investigate the anti-inflammatory efficiency of Sil-blended PCL nanofibrous, real-time PCR was applied to measure interleukin-2 expression. Results: MTT results showed increased viability and proliferation of cells on scaffolds containing silibinin over 6 days compared to control. QPCR results showed increased levels of interleukin-2 in mesenchymal stem cells implanted on nanofibers containing Sil. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that Sil-blended PCL electrospun nanofibrous mats appear suitable to support MSCs adhesion and proliferation while concurrently increasing the level of inflammation-related cytokines, therefore representing a hopeful approach for applying in stem cell based regenerative medicine.

کلیدواژه ها:

Spinal Cord Injury ، Scaffolds ، MSCs ، Electrospinning ، Regenerative Medicine