Layered fibrous construct

1. A layered construct for repairing or replacing cartilage or cartilage-like tissue, the construct comprising a first layer, a second layer and a third layer, wherein the second layer is located between the first layer and the third layer, wherein:

the first layer comprises aligned polymeric fibers that provide anisotropic tensile properties, such that tensile strength of the first layer is greater in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of layering than in the direction of layering;

the second layer and the third layer comprise randomly oriented polymeric fibers; and

the average diameter of fibers within the third layer is greater than the average diameter of fibers within the second layer by a factor of 2 or more.

2. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric fibers of the first layer are aligned substantially perpendicular to the direction of layering.

3. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the average diameter of fibers within the first, second and third layers are: first layer 0.1-5 μm; second layer: 0.1-5 μm; and third layer: 0.5-25 μm.

4. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the second and third layers each independently has a tensile modulus and/or tensile strength that is lower by a factor of 2 or more compared to the tensile modulus and/or tensile strength, respectively, of the first layer.

5. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile modulus of the third layer is equivalent to, greater than or lower than the tensile modulus of the second layer.

6. The layered construct of claim 5 , wherein the tensile modulus of the third layer is lower than the tensile modulus of the second layer.

7. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile modulus of each layer is: first layer: 10-100 MPa; second layer: 3-20 MPa; and third layer: 0.5-20 MPa.

8. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile strength of the third layer is equivalent to or lower than the tensile strength of the second layer.

9. The layered construct of claim 8 , wherein the tensile strength of the third layer is lower than the tensile strength of the second layer.

10. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile strength of each of the layers is: first layer: 10-200 MPa; second layer: 5-60 MPa; and

third layer: 3-20 MPa.

11. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the tensile strength of the construct is 5-30MPa and the tensile modulus of the construct is 5-50MPa.

12. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric fibers of the first layer, second layer and third layer are each formed from a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, optionally selected from the group consisting of poly(caprolactone), poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), polydioxanone, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(valcrolactone), poly(tartronic acid), poly(β-malonic acid), poly(propylene fumarate), polyanhydrides, tyrosine-derived polycarbonates, polyorthoesters, olyphosphazenes, poly(glutamic acid), collagen, hyaluronic acid, fibrin, alginate, laminin, elastin, chitosan, silk, keratin, cellulose, collagen and a copolymer or mixture of any of the polymers mentioned above.

13. The layered construct according to claim 12 , wherein the polymer used to form the polymeric fibers is provided at a molecular weight (M w ) from 10,000 to 600,000 Daltons.

14. The layered construct of claim 12 , wherein the polymeric fibers of the first layer, second layer and third layer are each formed from poly(caprolactone).

15. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the construct comprises one or more additional layers.

16. The layered construct according to claim 15 , wherein the construct comprises a base layer adjacent the third (deep) layer, wherein the base layer comprises an inorganic material.

17. The layered construct of claim 16 , wherein the base layer comprises an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of calcium phosphate and a bioactive glass.

18. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the construct further comprises an additional component integrated within one or more of the first, second and third layers, wherein the additional component can be selected from the group comprising decellularized xenogenic or allogenic tissue components, a growth factor, a protein or peptide, a hydrogel, a carbohydrate, an inorganic bioactive compound such as a bioactive glass or calcium phosphate crystals.

19. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the construct is seeded with cells.

20. The layered construct according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the construct is from 0.5-3 mm and wherein the specific thicknesses of each layer, in terms of proportion of the overall thickness of the construct, are approximately the following:

first layer: 10-30%;

second layer: 20-40%;

third layer: 30-70%.

21. A device comprising the layered construct of claim 1 wherein the device is a cartilage scaffold or an osteochondral plug.

22. The layered construct of claim 1 , wherein the cartilage or cartilage-like tissue is articular cartilage.

23. A process of producing a layered construct, the process comprising:

a) electrospinning a polymer to form a first layer of polymer fibers,

b) electrospinning a polymer to form a second layer of polymer fibers, and

c) electrospinning a polymer to form a third layer of polymer fibers,

wherein: the construct is assembled to have the second layer positioned between the first layer and the third layer; the first layer comprises aligned polymeric fibers that provide anisotropic tensile properties, such that tensile strength of the first layer is greater in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of layering than in the direction of layering; the second layer and the third layer comprise randomly oriented polymeric fibers; and the average diameter of fibers within the third layer is greater than the average diameter of fibers within the second layer by a factor of 2 or more.

24. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the electrospinning parameters are chosen such that the layers have one or more of the following properties:

i) the average diameter of fibers within the third layer is greater than the average diameter of fibers within the second layer;

ii) the second layer and the third layer have a tensile modulus and/or tensile strength that is significantly lower, by a factor of 2 or more, compared to the first layer.

25. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the process is a solvent electrospinning process in which a first polymer solution, second polymer solution and third polymer solution are electrospun to produce the first, second and third layers, respectively, or wherein the process is a melt-electrospinning process, where the polymer is heated above its melting temperature (T m ) and electrospun in a molten state.

26. The process according to claim 25 , wherein the first, second and/or third polymer solutions comprise an additional component selected from the group comprising decellularized xenogenic or allogenic tissue components, a growth factor, a protein or peptide, a hydrogel, a carbohydrate, an inorganic bioactive compound such as a bioactive glass or calcium phosphate crystals.

27. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the polymeric fibers of the first layer, second layer and third layer are each formed from a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, optionally selected from the group consisting of poly(caprolactone), poly(lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid), poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), polydioxanone, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(valcrolactone), poly(tartronic acid), poly(β-malonic acid), poly(propylene fumarate), polyanhydrides, tyrosine-derived polycarbonates, polyorthoesters, olyphosphazenes, poly(glutamic acid), collagen, hyaluronic acid, fibrin, alginate, laminin, elastin, chitosan, silk, keratin, cellulose, collagen and a copolymer or mixture of any of the polymers mentioned above.

28. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the first, second and third layers are electrospun onto a rotating collector and wherein the collection speed for the first layer is at least 1000rpm and the collection speed for the second and third layers is from 10-500 rpm.

29. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the process is a sequential process comprising sequentially electrospinning the first, second and third layers onto the same rotating collector to produce a layered construct.

30. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the process comprises separately electrospinning each of the first, second and third layers separately and then laminating the layers together with a hydrogel to form a layered construct.

31. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the process further comprises the step of functionalizing the layered construct by exposure of the layered construct to a protein or peptide.

32. A layered construct as produced by the process of claim 23 .

33. A method of repairing, replacing or promoting regeneration of cartilage or cartilage-like tissue, the method comprising implanting the layered construct as defined in claim 1 into an implantation site in a subject in need of repair, replacement or regeneration of cartilage or cartilage-like tissue.