课题组前期已经制备了角蛋白与PVA的共混纤维，但由于角蛋白较弱的力学性能，当角蛋白与PVA共混时会降低纤维的力学性能。因此课题组开发了一种纳米纤维表面角蛋白修饰的新方法，即先制备纳米纤维，再在其表面进行角蛋白纳米粒的喷涂。在相同的角蛋白/PVA比例下，角蛋白纳米粒修饰的纳米纤维具有更好的力学性能和生物相容性。

该课题由郭廷旺、杨信共同完成。已被Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine杂志接收。

Keratin nanoparticles-coating electrospun PVA nanofibers for potential neural tissue applications

Tingwang Guo ^{a, c} Xin Yang ^b Jia Deng ^c Liancai Zhu ^{a *} Bochu Wang ^{a *} Shilei Hao ^{a *}

^a Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400030, China.

^b Medical Technology Department, Dehong Vocational College, Dehong, Yunnan 678400, China.

^c College of Environment and Resources, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing, 400067, China

Abstract

Keratin has the potential to improve biocompatibility and bioactivity of polymeric nanofibers. However, the addition of keratin into the blend nanofiber would decrease the mechanical properties of nanofibers due to the poor spinnability of keratin, and caused inhomogeneous distribution of keratin inside the nanofibers. Therefore, polymeric nanofibers surface-modified with keratin nanoparticles would improve the hydrophility and mechanical property. In this study, keratose (oxidative keratin, KOS) nanoparticles-coating PVA nanofibers (KNPs/PVA) were fabricated by electrospray deposition after electrospinning and acted on neural cells. The chemical conformation, mechanical properties and wettability of KNPs/PVA nanofibers were characterized. The KNPs/PVA nanofibers provided better wettability and stronger mechanical properties compared to KOS/PVA blend nanofibers at the same mass ratio of KOS to PVA. Furthermore, KNPs/PVA nanofibers displayed better cyto-biocompatibility in terms of cell morphology, adhesion and proliferation compared with PVA nanofibers and KOS/PVA blend nanofibers. These results suggested that polymeric nanofibers surface-modified with KOS nanoparticles can provide superior wettability, mechanical properties and biocompatibility by comparison with the blend nanofibers.