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

S. M. Shatil Shahriar, Alec D. McCarthy, Syed Muntazir Andrabi, Yajuan Su, Navatha Shree Polavoram, Johnson V. John, Mitchell P. Matis, Wuqiang Zhu and Jingwei Xie ()
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S. M. Shatil Shahriar: 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

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: 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.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45458-x

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