Polyesterurethane foam scaffold for smooth muscle cell tissue engineering

Reconstruction of the genitourinary tract, using engineered urological tissues, requires a mechanically stable biodegradable and biocompatible scaffold and cultured cells. Such engineered autologous tissue would have many clinical implications. In this study a highly porous biodegradable polyesterurethane-foam, DegraPol® was evaluated with tissue engineered human primary bladder smooth muscle cells. The cell–polymer constructs were characterized by histology, scanning electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry and proliferation assays. Smooth muscle cells grown on DegraPol® showed the same morphology as when grown on control polystyrene surface. Positive immunostaining with alpha smooth muscle actin indicated the preservation of the specific cell phenotype. Micrographs from scanning electron microscopy showed that the cells grew on the foam surface as well as inside the pores. In addition they grew as cell aggregates within the foam. The smooth muscle cells proliferated on the Degrapol®; however, proliferation rate decreased due to apoptosis with time in culture. This study showed that Degrapol® has the potential to be used as a scaffold.