Electrospun fiber membrane with asymmetric NO release for the differential regulation of cell growth

The high incidence of cardiovascular disease has led to significant demand for synthetic vascular grafts in clinical applications. Anti-proliferation drugs are usually loaded into devices to achieve desirable anti-thrombosis effects after implantation. However, the non-selectiveness of these conventional drugs can lead to the failure of blood vessel reconstruction, leading to potential complications in the long term. To address this issue, an asymmetric membrane was constructed through electro-spinning techniques. The bilayer membrane loaded and effectively released nitric oxide (NO), as hoped, from only one side. Due to the short diffusion distance of NO, it exerted negligible effects on the other side of the membrane, thus allowing selective regulation of different cells on both sides. The released NO boosted the growth of endothelial cells (ECs) over smooth muscle cells (SMCs)—while on the side where NO was absent, SMCs grew into multilayers. The overall structure resembled a native blood vessel, with confluent ECs as the inner layer and layers of SMCs to support it. In addition, the membrane preserved the normal function of ECs, and at the same time did not exacerbate inflammatory responses. By preparing this material type that regulates cell behavior differentially, we describe a new method for its application in the cardiovascular field such as for artificial blood vessels.