Bio-Scaffolds vs. Synthetic Scaffolds
Elastin is an important component of extracellular matrix (ECM) in cardiovascular tissue regeneration. We found that human bone marrow stem cells (HBMSC) seeded on porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS) bio-scaffolds facilitated higher production of elastin extracellular matrix under flow conditions compared to poly glycolic acid-poly L-lactic acid (PGA-PLLA) synthetic scaffolds. This suggests that extracellular matrices on PSIS bio-scaffolds allowed cells to better communicate and further secrete engineered matrices such as elastin that will be useful in cardiovascular regeneration.