Regenerating airway epithelium using fibrous biomimetic basement membranes

This work focuses on the production of fiber layers to support epithelial differentiation, for the overall aim of developing a fibrous scaffold for airway epithelial regenerative implants. The authors show that the functionalization of polycaprolactone-heparin (PCL, a biodegradable polyester) fibers with laminin-332 (Biolaminin 332) -collagen IV mixture promotes higher attachment, quicker migration, and increased proliferation of airway epithelial cells. In addition, gene expression levels of secretory and ciliated cell markers were higher with laminin coating. The findings indicate that laminin-coated electrospun fibers are beneficial for the fabrication of bioengineered functional epithelia.