Results a b c Introduction Methods Conclusions Fabrication of Aligned Electrospun Polycaprolactone-Lignin Nanofibers for Peripheral Nervous Regeneration Shahram Amini1, Ahmad Saudi2, Hossein Salehi1*, Mohammad Rafienia3, Hossein Abbastabar4 1Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 2Student Research Committee, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 3Biosensor Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran 4Fcaulty of Science, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran Introduction Results Tissue engineering scaffolds as provide an alternative approach for neural regeneration. Nano/micro fibrous scaffolds which mimic the topography of natural extracellular matrix (ECM) can be potential scaffold candidates for neural tissue engineering [1,2]. Electrospinning produces fibers with diameters ranging from several micrometers to hundreds of nanometers. fibrous scaffolds would enhance neurite extension and axon regrowth [3]. These functional Nano fibrous scaffolds can serve as powerful tools for neural tissue engineering and have extremely potential for regeneration neural injury [3]. In this study, PCL and lignin nanocomposite fibers was fabricated using electrospinning and then characterized. Fig 2. SEM image of PCL/lignin Fig 3. FTIR analysis of PCL/lignin fibers PCL Methods An amount of the PCL (Mw: 80,000; Aldrich, Hamburg, Germany) dissolved in Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) to prepare 10% w/v solution. Lignin (Mn: 3000; Aldrich) at 10 wt.% of PCL was added to the mixture. PCL/lignin nanofiber scaffold was fabricated using the electrospinning method. For the electrospinning process, polymer solution was filled in a 5 mL syringe with a 21G needle. A high voltage of 20 kV was applied to the needle tip at a distance of 20 cm between the tip and the collector. Fig 4. Contact angle measurement of the fibrous Fig 5. a) MTT assay and b) SEM image of PCL/lignin after 7 days cell culture a b c Fig 6. Fig 2. a) SEM image, b,c) fluorescence images of PCL/lignin fibers after 6 days of differentiation Lignin Conclusions Aligned PCL/lignin fibers provide a favorable environment for nerve cell proliferation, and function. The results show the effective role of lignin in fibrous structure for nerve differentiation. The developed PCL/lignin fiber system could be potentially applied to nerve regeneration. PCL References 1. Ingber DE. Tensegrity-based mechanosensing from macro to micro. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2008;97:163–79. 2. Wozniak MA, Chen CS. Mechanotransduction in development: a growing role for contractility. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2009;10: 34–43. 3. Ruiz SA, Chen CS. Emergence of patterned stem cell differentiation within multicellular structures. Stem Cells. 2008;26:2921–7.