Electrospun Nanofibers with Core–Shell Structure for Treatment of Bladder Regeneration
Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and electrospun scaffolds have the three-dimensional porous network structure characteristics similar to those of the autologous ECM. However, scaffold fabrication of water-dissolved HA without surfactant by electrospinning is difficult. This study reports the fabrication of HA-coated biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds through coaxial electrospinning of poly( l -lactide)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PLCL) and HA to modulate proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) for bladder regeneration. The nanofibers were verified by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Contact angle and swelling were measured to determine hydrophilicity of the nanofiber scaffolds. SMCs were seeded onto the PLCL/HA and PLCL scaffolds for the in vitro study. For the in vivo study, 36 rats were divided into the PLCL/HA, PLCL, cystotomy controls, and sham surgery groups, 8 rats per group. The 40–50% supratrigonal cystectomy was performed and replaced with or without domed scaffolds. The rats were followed for 4 and 10 weeks. After the follow-up, urodynamic test was performed to check the functions of bladder. The defect area was excised for histological examination. Highly uniform PLCL/HA nanofibers had the core–shell structures. The HA coating on the PLCL nanofibers endowed the nanofibrous mats with increased anisotropic wettability and swelling. The PLCL/HA nanofibers significantly promoted SMC proliferation and migration. In vivo implantation in a rat bladder augmentation model demonstrated that the bladder walls made of PLCL/HA nanofiber scaffolds integrated with host tissue and stimulated the formation of bladder smooth muscle layers that expressed contractile protein alpha-smooth muscle actin. In addition, bladder capacity was significantly improved. These findings show that the bilayer PLCL/HA nanofiber domed mesh is a promising scaffold with good cytocompatibility and can promote smooth muscle tissue proliferation for bladder regeneration. Impact Statement: The extracellular matrix (ECM)-inspired electrospinning scaffolds have a good cytocompatibility. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one of the main components in the bladder ECM, but it is hard to be made by electrospinning alone. In this study, it is shown that coaxial electrospinning can fabricate poly( l -lactide)/poly(e-caprolactone) (PLCL)/HA nanofibers with the core–shell structure. The HA coating nanofibers have more hydrophilicity, which can promote cell proliferation and migration by filopodial outgrowth. We also fabricated domed PLCL/HA nanofiber scaffolds used in bladder regeneration by improving bladder capacity and facilitating smooth muscle proliferation.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Coaxial electrospinning biomimetic nanofiber scaffold based on hyaluronic acid and PLCL promotes bladder regeneration by regulating proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells; HA increases anisotropy and hydrophilicity of scaffold, promotes migration and proliferation of SMC; bladder capacity of rats implanted with composite stents significantly improved.
“Feng et al. constructed a coaxial electrospinning biomimetic nanofiber scaffold based on hyaluronic acid and PLCL, which promoted bladder regeneration by regulating the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells. The results showed that HA increased the anisotropy and hydrophilicity of the scaffold, and promoted the migration and proliferation of SMC. The results of animal experiments”
From Application of PLCL as a biodegradable polymer in biomedical engineering (2026) · cites this paper as [212]
Cites
Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification
Engler, A. J., Sen, S., Sweeney, H. L., & Discher, D. E. (2006) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2006.06.044 · Cited by 13,915 · see citing works
Electrospinning: Applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering
Sill, T. J., & von Recum, H. A. (2008) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2008.01.011 · Cited by 3,299 · see citing works
Direct Fabrication of Composite and Ceramic Hollow Nanofibers by Electrospinning
Li, D., & Xia, Y. (2004) · Nano Letters · doi:10.1021/nl049590f · Cited by 1,306 · see citing works
Surface-functionalized electrospun nanofibers for tissue engineering and drug delivery
Yoo, H. S., Kim, T. G., & Park, T. G. (2009) · Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.addr.2009.07.007 · Cited by 1,096 · see citing works
Hyaluronic acid based scaffolds for tissue engineering—A review
Collins, M. N., & Birkinshaw, C. (2012) · Carbohydrate Polymers · doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2012.10.028 · Cited by 1,094 · see citing works
Cell interactions with three-dimensional matrices
Cukierman, E., Pankov, R. G., & Yamada, K. M. (2002) · Current Opinion in Cell Biology · doi:10.1016/s0955-0674(02)00364-2 · Cited by 889 · see citing works
Hyaluronic acid: the scientific and clinical evidence
Price, R. D., Berry, M. G., & Navsaria, H. A. (2007) · Journal of Plastic Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery · doi:10.1016/j.bjps.2007.03.005 · Cited by 413 · see citing works
Wan, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, Z., Qu, X., Han, B., Bei, J., & Wang, S. (2005) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2004.11.016 · Cited by 342 · see citing works
Kim, T. G., Chung, H. J., & Park, T. G. (2008) · Acta Biomaterialia · doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2008.06.008 · Cited by 323 · see citing works
Xu, C., Yang, F., Wang, S., & Ramakrishna, S. (2004) · Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A · doi:10.1002/jbm.a.30143 · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Development of biodegradable electrospun scaffolds for dermal replacement
Blackwood, K. A., McKean, R., Cantón, I., Freeman, C. O., Franklin, K. L., Cole, D., Brook, I. M., Farthing, P. M., Rimmer, S., Haycock, J. W., et al. (2008) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2008.03.037 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Li, G., Yang, P., Qin, W. D., Maitz, M. F., Zhou, S., & Huang, N. (2011) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.03.025 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Hyaluronate and its derivatives for customized biomedical applications
Kim, H., Jeong, H., Han, S., Beack, S., Hwang, B. W., Shin, M., Oh, S. S., & Hahn, S. K. (2017) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.01.029 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Jack, G. S., Zhang, R., Lee, M., Xu, Y., Wu, B. M., & Rodríguez, L. V. (2009) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2009.02.035 · Cited by 188 · see citing works
Initial Stages of Cell-Matrix Adhesion Can Be Mediated and Modulated by Cell-Surface Hyaluronan
Zimmerman, E., Geiger, B., & Addadi, L. (2002) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/s0006-3495(02)75535-5 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Shin, Y. C., Lee, J.-H., Jin, L., Kim, M. J., Kim, Y., Hyun, J. K., Jung, T., Hong, S. W., & Han, D. (2015) · Journal of Nanobiotechnology · doi:10.1186/s12951-015-0081-9 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Long-term follow up of enteric bladder augmentations: The risk for malignancy
Husmann, D. A., & Rathbun, S. (2008) · Journal of Pediatric Urology · doi:10.1016/j.jpurol.2008.06.003 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
The use of hyaluronan to regulate protein adsorption and cell infiltration in nanofibrous scaffolds
Li, L., Qian, Y., Jiang, C., Lv, Y., Liu, W., Zhong, L., Cai, K., Li, S., & Yang, L. (2012) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.01.038 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Sharma, A. K., Hota, P. V., Matoka, D. J., Fuller, N. J., Jandali, D. B., Thaker, H., Ameer, G. A., & Cheng, E. Y. (2010) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.04.054 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Schindler, M., Nur‐E‐Kamal, A., Ahmed, I., Kamal, J., Liu, H., Amor, N., Ponery, A. S., Crockett, D. P., Grafe, T. H., Chung, H. Y., et al. (2006) · Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics · doi:10.1385/cbb:45:2:215 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Hyaluronic Acid/PLGA Core/Shell Fiber Matrices Loaded with EGCG Beneficial to Diabetic Wound Healing
Shin, Y. C., Shin, D., Lee, E. J., Lee, J.-H., Kim, J. E., Song, S. H., Hwang, D., Lee, J.-J., Kim, B., Lim, D., et al. (2016) · Advanced Healthcare Materials · doi:10.1002/adhm.201600658 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Preparation of cross-linked hyaluronic acid films of low water content
Tomihata, K. (1997) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/s0142-9612(96)00116-0 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Li, G., Ping, Y., Liao, Y., & Huang, N. (2011) · Biomacromolecules · doi:10.1021/bm101468v · Cited by 93 · see citing works
A new and evolving paradigm for biocompatibility
Hilborn, J. G., & Bjursten, L. M. (2007) · Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine · doi:10.1002/term.4 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Jayo, M. J., Jain, D., Wagner, B. J., & Bertram, T. A. (2008) · The Journal of Urology · doi:10.1016/j.juro.2008.02.039 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
The performance of silk scaffolds in a rat model of augmentation cystoplasty
Seth, A., Chung, Y. G., Gil, E. S., Tu, D. D., Franck, D., Vizio, D. D., Adam, R. M., Kaplan, D. L., Estrada, C. R., & Mauney, J. R. (2013) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.03.038 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Yuan, H., Qin, J., Xie, J., Li, B., Yu, Z., Peng, Z., Yi, B., Lou, X., Lu, X., & Zhang, Y. (2016) · Nanoscale · doi:10.1039/c6nr05075a · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Li, S., Cai, H. X., Chen, L. K., Wu, Y., Zhu, S. A., Gong, X., Xia, Y. X., Ouyang, H. W., & Zou, X. (2013) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.11.025 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Biomatrices for bladder reconstruction
Lin, H., Madihally, S. V., Palmer, B. W., Frimberger, D. C., Fung, K.-M. A., & Kropp, B. P. (2014) · Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.addr.2014.11.020 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Jensen, J., Kraft, D. C. E., Lysdahl, H., Foldager, C. B., Chen, M., Kristiansen, A. A., Rölfing, J. D., & Bünger, C. E. (2014) · Tissue Engineering Part A · doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2014.0177 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Chung, Y. G., Algarrahi, K., Franck, D., Tu, D. D., Adam, R. M., Kaplan, D. L., Estrada, C. R., & Mauney, J. R. (2014) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.05.044 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Single‐Step Electrospinning of Bimodal Fiber Meshes for Ease of Cellular Infiltration
Gentsch, R., Boysen, B., Lankenau, A., & Börner, H. G. (2009) · Macromolecular Rapid Communications · doi:10.1002/marc.200900431 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Zhao, Y., He, Y., Guo, J.-H., Wu, J.-S., Zhou, Z., Zhang, M., Li, W., Zhou, J., Xiao, D., Wang, Z., et al. (2015) · Acta Biomaterialia · doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2015.05.032 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Self-citationZhou, L., Yang, B., Sun, C., Qiu, X., Sun, Z., Chen, Y., Zhang, Y., & Dai, Y. (2012) · Tissue Engineering Part A · doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2011.0609 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Chen, L., Bai, Y., Liao, G., Peng, E., Wu, B., Wang, Y., Zeng, X., & Xie, X. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071265 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationMondalek, F. G., Ashley, R., Roth, C. C., Kibar, Y., Shakir, N. A., Ihnat, M. A., Fung, K.-M. A., Grady, B. P., Kropp, B. P., & Lin, H. (2010) · Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A · doi:10.1002/jbm.a.32748 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Hyaluronic Acid Coating Enhances Biocompatibility of Nonwoven PGA Scaffold and Cartilage Formation
Lin, X., Wang, W., Zhang, W., Zhang, Z., Zhou, G., Cao, Y., & Liu, W. X. (2017) · Tissue Engineering Part C Methods · doi:10.1089/ten.tec.2016.0373 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Neurogenic Bladder in Children: Basic Principles, New Therapeutic Trends
Guys, J.-M., Hery, G., Haddad, M., & Borrionne, C. (2011) · Scandinavian Journal of Surgery · doi:10.1177/145749691110000405 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Bioactive Sheath/Core nanofibers containing olive leaf extract
Tetik, G. D., Başal, G., Bayraktar, O., Özyıldız, F., Uzel, A., & Erdoğan, İ. (2015) · Microscopy Research and Technique · doi:10.1002/jemt.22603 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Bladder Regeneration Using Multiple Acellular Scaffolds with Growth Factors in a Bladder
Roelofs, L. A. J., de Jonge, P. K. J. D., Oosterwijk, E., Tiemessen, D. M., Kortmann, B., de Gier, R. P. E., Versteeg, E. M. M., Daamen, W. F., Kuppevelt, T. H. V., Geutjes, P. J., et al. (2017) · Tissue Engineering Part A · doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2016.0356 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Brown, A. L., Ringuette, M., Prestwich, G. D., Bägli, D., & Woodhouse, K. A. (2006) · Biomaterials · doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2006.02.040 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Feng, C., Hu, J., Liu, C., Liu, S., Liao, G., Song, L., & Zeng, X. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164918 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Self-citationXiao, D., Wang, Q., Yan, H., Lv, X., Zhao, Y., Zhou, Z., Zhang, M., Sun, Q., Sun, K., Li, W., et al. (2017) · Oncotarget · doi:10.18632/oncotarget.21211 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Tailoring Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
Luo, Z., Wang, Y., Li, J., Wang, J., Yu, Y., & Zhao, Y. (2023) · Advanced Functional Materials · doi:10.1002/adfm.202306554 · Cited by 187 · see citing works
Hyaluronic acid electrospinning: Challenges, applications in wound dressings and new perspectives
de Castro, K. C., Campos, M. G. N., & Mei, L. H. I. (2021) · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.01.100 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Uhljar, L. É., & Ambrus, R. (2023) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020417 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Mohammadalizadeh, Z., Toloue, E. B., & Karbasi, S. (2022) · Reactive and Functional Polymers · doi:10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2022.105202 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
3D printed mesh reinforcements enhance the mechanical properties of electrospun scaffolds
Pensa, N. W., Curry, A. S., Bonvallet, P. P., Bellis, N. F., Rettig, K. M., Reddy, M. S., Eberhardt, A. W., & Bellis, S. L. (2019) · Biomaterials Research · doi:10.1186/s40824-019-0171-0 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Electrospinning: Application and Prospects for Urologic Tissue Engineering
Zamani, M., Shakhssalim, N., Ramakrishna, S., & Naji, M. (2020) · Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · doi:10.3389/fbioe.2020.579925 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
de Castro, K. C., Burga-Sánchez, J., Campos, M. G. N., & Mei, L. H. I. (2020) · RSC Advances · doi:10.1039/d0ra04950f · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Barati, F., Farsani, A. M., & Mahmoudifard, M. (2020) · Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering · doi:10.1007/s00449-020-02385-7 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Scholpp, S., Hoffmann, L. A., Schätzlein, E., Gries, T., Emonts, C., & Blaeser, A. (2025) · Materials Today Bio · doi:10.1016/j.mtbio.2025.101617 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Barati, F., Arpanaei, A., & Mahmoudifard, M. (2020) · Analytical Methods · doi:10.1039/d0ay00944j · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Advances in Electrospinning Technique in the Manufacturing Process of Nanofibrous Materials
de Castro, K. C., Costa, J. M., & Mei, L. H. I. (2020) · doi:10.1002/9781119655039.ch13 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Application of PLCL as a biodegradable polymer in biomedical engineering
Zhao, Y., & Liu, H. (2026) · Journal of Materials Science Materials in Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10856-026-07016-3 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Surface-Functionalized Electrospun Nanofibers for Tissue Engineering
Pandey, R., Pokhrel, R., Thapa, P., Mahat, S., Sandip, K. C., Uprety, B., & Chhetri, R. (2021) · Springer series on polymer and composite materials · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-79979-3_12 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Biofunctional textile fibres and their applications
Thillaipandian, H., & Rengaswami, G. D. V. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-821483-1.00012-7 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Wang, J., Feng, C., Zhu, Y., Wang, Z., Ren, X., Li, X., Ying, Y., Tian, Y., Yu, K., Liu, S., et al. (2022) · Materials & Design · doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110821 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citationZhang, Y., Ding, F., Han, J., Wang, Z., & Tian, W. (2025) · Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology · doi:10.3389/fbioe.2024.1528658 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Delivery Materials with Chemotherapy Drugs for Treatment of the Positive Margin in Solid Tumors
Zhu, Y., Liu, S., Feng, C., Liu, C. X., Wang, Z., Yu, K., Wang, J., & Zeng, X. (2020) · Tissue Engineering Part A · doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2020.0076 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Self-citationHui, J., Sharma, S., Rajani, S., & Singh, A. (2020) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms21165593 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Engineering of the Bladder and Urethra
Yi, X., Lim, D., Atala, A., & Yoo, J. J. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-18512-1_1-1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Shao, T., Yan, M., Liu, R., Zhang, Y., Wang, B., Li, Y., Liu, Y., Li, D., Jin, L., Yi, B., et al. (2024) · Carbohydrate Polymers · doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.123150 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Marszalik, K., & Stachewicz, U. (2026) · Advances in Colloid and Interface Science · doi:10.1016/j.cis.2026.104037 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Engineering of the Bladder and Urethra
Yi, X., Lim, D., Atala, A., & Yoo, J. J. (2021) · Reference series in biomedical engineering · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44211-8_1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Sun, X.-B., Zou, C., Li‐Ling, J., & Xie, H. (2026) · Biofabrication · doi:10.1088/1758-5090/ae7bc7
- Authors
- Feng, C., Liu, C., Liu, S., Wang, Z., Yu, K., & Zeng, X.
- Affiliations
- Tongji Hospital (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zeng, Xiaoyong
- Venue
- Tissue Engineering Part A
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-09
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 17-18
- Pages
- 1289-1299
- ISSN
- 1937-3341 (ISSN-L)
- 1937-335X
- OpenAlex
- W2983077691
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 1.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Tissue Engineering Part A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Bone Tissue Engineering Materials
- Keywords
- bladder regeneration, hyaluronic acid, core-shell nanofibers, coaxial electrospinning, poly(L-lactic acid), polycaprolactone, smooth muscle cells, cell proliferation and migration, bladder augmentation, alpha-smooth muscle actin, extracellular matrix, biomimetic scaffolds, rat model, urodynamic function
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Urinary Bladder, Immunohistochemistry, Wettability, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Microscopy, Confocal, Tissue Engineering, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Cell Proliferation, Rats, Tissue Scaffolds, Nanofibers
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
