Novel porous gelatin scaffolds by overrun/particle leaching process for tissue engineering applications

Porous gelatin scaffolds were prepared using a modified overrun process, which is a novel method for preparing a porous matrix by injecting air and mixing polymer solution at low temperature. The pores in the scaffolds formed by the overrun process exhibited a dual-pore structure due to the injection of air bubbles and ice recrystallization. However, the morphology of the overrun-processed gelatin scaffolds had closed pore structures. The closed pore structure was reformed into a uniformly distributed and interconnected open structure by the combination of the overrun process and a particle-leaching technique (NaCl and sucrose). The mechanical strength and biodegradation rate of gelatin scaffolds were controlled by the matrix porosity and concentration of gelatin solution. Despite higher porosity, overrun processed gelatin scaffolds showed similar mechanical strength to freeze-dried scaffolds. After 1 week of in vitro culturing, the fibroblasts in overrun-processed scaffolds were widely distributed on the surface of the scaffold pores, whereas cells seeded in freeze-dried scaffolds were mainly placed on the top and bottom of the scaffolds. Therefore, the overrun process combined with a particle-leaching technique can be applied to fabricate porous scaffolds with a desirable cellular structure for tissue engineering applications.