Cellular Deformations in Microintegrated Electrospun Poly (Ester Urethane) Urea Scaffolds Under Biaxial Stretch Available to Purchase

Recently, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) have been electrosprayed concurrently with electrospun biodegradable elastomeric poly (ester urethane) urea (PEUU) to form cell-microintegrated scaffolds [1]. These scaffolds exhibit soft tissue-like elastomeric mechanical properties [2], and are thus promising candidates for repair or replacement of diseased cardiovascular tissues. The level of cellular deformation during in vitro mechanical training will likely influence the extracellular matrix formation. However, these deformations are likely complex and dependent upon both scaffold properties and the cellular interactions with the local fibers. Our objective is to quantify microintegrated cellular deformations in response to biaxial scaffold stretches, using the nuclear aspect ratio (NAR) as an index of overall cellular deformation.