Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanofiber Mats for BarrierMembranes in Guided Bone Regeneration

Background: Barrier membranes prevent soft tissue invasion while promoting bone healing, suggesting a potential significance in guided bone regeneration (GBR).However, many resorbable membranes lack adequate mechanical strength and long-term stability.Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a biostable polymer, exhibits promising properties for GBR but remains underexplored.Methods: Electrospun PET nanofiber membranes (PET-1 to PET-4) were fabricated by systematically varying solution concentrations and processing conditions.Their morphology was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical properties were assessed via tensile testing.Surface wettability was reflected by the water contact angle.In vitro biocompatibility was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay using L929 mouse fibroblasts.Barrier function was tested by Transwell and time-course fibroblast migration assays.Results: All PET membranes exhibited uniform nanofiber structures with good mechanical integrity.PET-4 showed the highest tensile strength (13.5 MPa) and elastic modulus (190 MPa).Contact angles ranged from 85 to 93 , which indicated moderate hydrophobicity.Cytocompatibility was high across all the groups, with PET-4 representing nearly 100% cell viability.In migration assays, PET-4 significantly suppressed fibroblast invasion over 48 h.Conclusion: Electrospun PET nanofiber membranes demonstrated excellent mechanical performance, cytocompatibility, and barrier function.PET-4 emerged as a particularly promising candidate for GBR application, offering effective long-term soft tissue exclusion and bone regeneration support.