Development of VEGF-loaded PLGA matrices in association with mesenchymal stem cells for tissue engineering

Abstract The association of bioactive molecules, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), with nanofibers facilitates theircontrolled release, which could contribute to cellular migration and differentiation in tissue regeneration. In this research, theinfluence of their incorporation on a polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffold produced by electrospinning on cell adhesionand viability and cytotoxicity was carried out in three groups: 1) PLGA/BSA/VEGF; 2) PLGA/BSA, and 3) PLGA. Morphology,fiber diameter, contact angle, loading efficiency and controlled release of VEGF of the biomaterials, among others, weremeasured. The nanofibers showed smooth surfaces without beads and with interconnected pores. PLGA/BSA/VEGF showedthe smallest water contact angle and VEGF released for up to 160 h. An improvement in cell adhesion was observed for thePLGA/BSA/VEGF scaffolds compared to the other groups and the scaffolds were non-toxic for the cells. Therefore, the scaffoldswere shown to be a good strategy for sustained delivery of VEGF and may be a useful tool for tissue engineering.Key words: Emulsion electrospinning; VEGF; Stem cells; PLGA; Biomaterials