Comparative Analysis of Scaffold Fibre Diameter-Modulated Responses on Immortalized and Primary Thyroid Cells: Implications for Thyroid Regeneration

Abstract

Primary hypothyroidism results from thyroid gland damage, commonly due to radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Primary hypothyroidism severely impacts patient quality of life and is expected to increase in incidence due to the aging population and rising cancer survivor rates. Tissue engineering approaches are starting to emerge as a potential treatment. Electrospinning techniques have yet to be investigated in conjunction with thyroid tissue. Her, electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds with varying fibre diameters were fabricated and their effects on immortalized human thyrocytes (Nthy-ori 3-1) and primary murine thyroid cells were investigated. Four groups of scaffolds were produced with fibre diameters ranging from approximately 0.5µm to 4µm, to understand the impact of these microenvironments on their potential for thyroid regeneration. Results showed that fibre size influence mechanical properties, porosity and cell response. Nthy.ori 3-1 cells performed best on medium-sized fibres while primary cells preferred larger fibres. Nonetheless, smaller fibre diameters encouraged the secretion of collage-like fibrils, potentially indicating favourable conditions for regeneration. This study highlights the potential of electrospun PCL scaffolds as promising candidates for tissue engineering applications in the treatment of primary hypothyroidism. The findings demonstrate the importance of considering cell-type specific responses when designing biomaterials for tissue-engineered solutions for thyroid regeneration. Further research is necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and optimize scaffold properties for successful thyroid tissue regeneration.

Keywords: Electrospinning, thyroid, Fibre diameter, scaffolds, Tissue Engineering