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WOS: 000427483300016 Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a very promising biological material. However, at present its utilization is limited by difficulties in shape forming it. In this Communication, it is shown how this can be overcome by blending it with poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) polymer. BC:PMMA fibers are produced by pressurized gyration of blended BC:PMMA solutions. Subsequently, BC:PMMA bandage-like scaffolds are generated with different blends. The products are investigated to determine their morphological and chemical features. Cell culture and proliferation tests are performed to obtain information on biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK [EP/N 034228/1, EP/L 023059/1] The authors wish to thank UCL for part supporting the visits of Esra Altun and Mehmet Onur Aydogdu. The authors also wish to thank the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council UK for supporting gyration spinning work at UCL (Grant Nos. EP/L 023059/1 and EP/N 034228/1).

WOS: 000444951400014 PubMed ID: 29806201 Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds are promising regenerative wound dressing options but have yet to be widely used in practice. The challenge is that nanofibre productions rely on bench-top apparatuses, and the delicate product integrity is hard to preserve before reaching the point of need. Timing is critically important to wound healing. The purpose of this investigation is to produce novel nanofibrous scaffolds using a portable, hand-held gun, which enables production at the wound site in a time-dependent fashion, thereby preserving product integrity. We select bacterial cellulose, a natural hydrophilic biopolymer, and polycaprolactone, a synthetic hydrophobic polymer, to generate composite nanofibres that can tune the scaffold hydrophilicity, which strongly affects cell proliferation. Composite scaffolds made of 8 different ratios of bacterial cellulose and polycaprolactone were successfully electrospun. The morphological features and cell-scaffold interactions were analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The biocompatibility was studied using Saos-2 cell viability test. The scaffolds were found to show good biocompatibility and allow different proliferation rates that varied with the composition of the scaffolds. A nanofibrous dressing that can be accurately moulded and standardised via the portable technique is advantageous for wound healing in practicality and in its consistency through mass production. UCL The authors wish to thank UCL for part supporting the visits of Esra Altun and Mehmet Onur Aydogdu.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a very promising biological material. However, at present its utilization is limited by difficulties in shape forming it. In this Communication, it is shown how this can be overcome by blending it with poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) polymer. BC:PMMA fibers are produced by pressurized gyration of blended BC:PMMA solutions. Subsequently, BC:PMMA bandage-like scaffolds are generated with different blends. The products are investigated to determine their morphological and chemical features. Cell culture and proliferation tests are performed to obtain information on biocompatibility of the scaffolds.