Impact of UV sterilization and short term storage on the in vitro release kinetics and bioactivity of biomolecules from electrospun scaffolds

To effectively translate bioactive scaffolds into a preclinical setting, proper sterilization techniques and storage conditions need to be carefully considered, as the chosen sterilization technique and storage condition might affect the structural and mechanical properties of the scaffolds, as well as the bioactivity and release kinetics of the incorporated biomolecules. Since rarely tested or quantified, we show here in a proof-of-concept study how these parameters are affected by UV sterilization and one week storage at different temperatures using bioactive electrospun DegraPol scaffolds that were specifically designed for application in the field of tendon rupture repair. Even though UV sterilization and the different storage conditions did not impact the morphology or the physicochemical properties of the bioactive scaffolds, UV sterilization caused significant attenuation of the growth factor release kinetics, here platelet derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) release (by approx. 85%) and slight decrease in ascorbic acid release (by approx. 20%). In contrast, 4 °C and −20 °C storage did not have a major effect on the release kinetics of PDGF-BB, while storage at room temperature caused increase in PDGF-BB released. All storage conditions had little effect on ascorbic acid release. Equally important, neither UV sterilization nor storage affected the bioactivity of the released PDGF-BB, suggesting stability of the bioactive scaffolds for at least one week and showing potential for bioactive DegraPol scaffolds to be translated into an off-the-shelf available product. These parameters are expected to be scaffold and protein-dependent.