Auxiliary Electrode Tunes Wet-Electrospun Bundle Stiffness to Modulate Cell Phenotype

Haoyu Wang; Chelsea Violita Stanley; Xiangshen Gao; Ziyu Liu; Mo Zhou; Mingjing Zhang; Fenglei Zhou; Maryam Tamaddom; Chaozong Liu

doi:10.1088/1748-605X/ade8c6

Auxiliary Electrode Tunes Wet-Electrospun Bundle Stiffness to Modulate Cell Phenotype

Biomed Mater. 2025 Jun 26. doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ade8c6. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Haoyu Wang¹, Chelsea Violita Stanley², Xiangshen Gao³, Ziyu Liu⁴, Mo Zhou⁵, Mingjing Zhang⁶, Fenglei Zhou⁷, Maryam Tamaddom⁸, Chaozong Liu⁹

Affiliations

¹ UCL, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, UK, London, Choose County, HA7 4LP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
² UCL, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, UK, London, England, HA7 4LP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
³ Beijing University of Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, College of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China, Beijing, 100124, CHINA.
⁴ Beihang University, Ziyu Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical EngineeringSchool of Engineering MedicineBeihang UniversityBeijing 100191, China, Beijing, Beijing, 100091, CHINA.
⁵ UCL, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, UK, London, HA7 4LP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
⁶ UCL, UCL Institute of Orthopaedic & Musculoskeletal Science, University College London,, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, London, London, England, HA7 4LP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
⁷ Computer Science, UCL, Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London WC1V 6LJ, UK, London, WC1V 6LJ, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
⁸ UCL, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, UK, London, London, England, HA7 4LP, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
⁹ UCL, Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, UK, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore HA7 4LP, London, London, England, WC1E 6BT, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.

PMID: 40570927
DOI: 10.1088/1748-605X/ade8c6

Abstract

The stiffness of tissue-engineered scaffolds significantly influences cell behaviour and phenotype. However, current approaches to tuning stiffness often introduce unintended variations and compromise topographical consistency. In this study, an innovative wet-electrospinning set-up, incorporating a positively charged auxiliary electrode was developed to fabricate bundles with adjustable stiffness. COMSOL-based electromechanical computing revealed that the auxiliary electrode provided electrostatic force, which reduced stress concentration during continuous polycaprolactone (PCL) bundle collection at speeds up to 120 m/min. Tensile testing showed that increasing collection speed significantly enhanced bundle stiffness, with Young's modulus rising from 40 to 107 MPa. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that this strengthen effect was associated with crystal disintegration and grain refinement within PCL fibre. These changes were reflected in scaffold stiffness, thereby, further influenced cell behaviour, as bundles with higher stiffness promoted a transition from non-polarized to spindle-like cell morphology. This electrostatic-assisted collection wet-electrospun setup enables the fabrication of scaffolds with tuneable mechanical properties while preserving topographical consistency, offering a robust strategy for mechanobiology research and tissue engineering.&#xD.

Keywords: Bundle; Cell morphology; PCL; Wet-electrospinning.

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