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Mechanically resilient hybrid aerogels containing fibers of dual-scale sizes and knotty networks for tissue regeneration

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  • S. M. Shatil Shahriar

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center
    University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Alec D. McCarthy

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Syed Muntazir Andrabi

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Yajuan Su

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Navatha Shree Polavoram

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Johnson V. John

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Mitchell P. Matis

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center)

  • Wuqiang Zhu

    (Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona)

  • Jingwei Xie

    (University of Nebraska Medical Center
    University of Nebraska Lincoln)

Abstract

The structure and design flexibility of aerogels make them promising for soft tissue engineering, though they tend to come with brittleness and low elasticity. While increasing crosslinking density may improve mechanics, it also imparts brittleness. In soft tissue engineering, resilience against mechanical loads from mobile tissues is paramount. We report a hybrid aerogel that consists of self-reinforcing networks of micro- and nanofibers. Nanofiber segments physically entangle microfiber pillars, allowing efficient stress distribution through the intertwined fiber networks. We show that optimized hybrid aerogels have high specific tensile moduli (~1961.3 MPa cm3 g−1) and fracture energies (~7448.8 J m−2), while exhibiting super-elastic properties with rapid shape recovery (~1.8 s). We demonstrate that these aerogels induce rapid tissue ingrowth, extracellular matrix deposition, and neovascularization after subcutaneous implants in rats. Furthermore, we can apply them for engineering soft tissues via minimally invasive procedures, and hybrid aerogels can extend their versatility to become magnetically responsive or electrically conductive, enabling pressure sensing and actuation.

Suggested Citation

  • S. M. Shatil Shahriar & Alec D. McCarthy & Syed Muntazir Andrabi & Yajuan Su & Navatha Shree Polavoram & Johnson V. John & Mitchell P. Matis & Wuqiang Zhu & Jingwei Xie, 2024. "Mechanically resilient hybrid aerogels containing fibers of dual-scale sizes and knotty networks for tissue regeneration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-45458-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45458-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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