Three-dimensional tissue constructs from nonwoven nanofiber materials

The preparation of three-dimensional structures from nanofibers is at the center of attention of tissue engineering. There are many methods available for creating three-dimensional tissue constructs – utilizing macroporous materials or dispersing the cells in a homogeneous environment, such as agarose hydrogel or fibrin glue. The biomaterials can be classified as biodegradable or non-biodegradable, according to their behavior in the organism; in the group of non-biodegradable materials, polymer hydrogels are often utilized because of their high biocompatibility and favorable mechanical properties. Electrospun nanofibers have been known for a long time and the growth of many cell types on the electrospun nanofiber layers was repeatedly studied. Current developments in nanotechnology, primarily the technique of producing nanofiber layers using a Nanospider™ device, led us to investigate the properties of nonwoven nanofiber layers made from biocompatible polymer methacrylate based hydrogels with the aim utilizing such nanofibers for tissue engineering, mainly for the threedimensional tissue reconstruction.