Fellow, American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, Laura H. Carnell Professor and Chair, Temple University, Dept. Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA USA, Director, Temple Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (TIME), Professor of Surgery, Temple School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Professor of Regenerative Endodontics, Kornberg School of Dentistry, Professor of Cancer Biology, Fox Chase Cancer Center
 
Natural biomaterials, such as 3-D scaffolds made of extracellular matrix proteins or other natural polymers contain a variety of inductive / differentiative biological cues, which are frequently missing / not routinely found in synthetic polymers. Furthermore recent studies indicate that the micro/nano- surface topography of biological scaffolds may function as a newly recognized key element that can direct (stem) cell differentiation (fate decision) in the absence of exogenous differentiation factors.
 
In this presentation I will discuss electrospinning as a platform technology for generating nanofibrous scaffolds that mimic the nano-topography of the ECM. Specifically, I will focus on bioactive biological scaffolds made by electrospinning of natural three biomaterials that can provide solutions for several unmet biomedical needs:
•      Chitosan – in situ regenerative engineering of calvarial bone
•      Soy protein – wound healing / regeneration in vivo.
•      Elastin - vascularized alveolar organoids in vitro
 
Finally, I will describe a new type of asymmetric bilayer scaffold, wherein the nanoscale surface roughness of these scaffolds can be used induce osteogenic / odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells.