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Published on: October 23, 2015
A mesoporous bioactive glass/polycaprolactone composite scaffold and its bioactivity behavior.
Xia Li1, Jianlin Shi, Xiaoping Dong
1State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, People's Republic of China.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|June 30, 2007
Summary
Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG)/polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds enhance hydrophilicity and apatite formation more effectively than conventional bioactive glass (BG)/PCL scaffolds. These improvements are crucial for advancing PCL applications in tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Materials Chemistry
Background:
- Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a widely used biodegradable polymer in tissue engineering.
- Enhancing the bioactivity and surface properties of PCL scaffolds is critical for successful tissue regeneration.
- Bioactive glasses (BG) and mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG) are known for their ability to promote bone formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize composite scaffolds of mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG)/polycaprolactone (PCL) and conventional bioactive glass (BG)/PCL.
- To evaluate the effect of MBG and BG incorporation on the hydrophilicity and bioactivity of PCL scaffolds.
- To compare the performance of MBG/PCL and BG/PCL composite scaffolds for potential tissue engineering applications.
Main Methods:
- Composite scaffolds were fabricated using a solvent casting-particulate leaching method.
- Water contact angle measurements were performed to assess hydrophilicity.
- Bioactivity was evaluated by soaking scaffolds in simulated body fluid (SBF) and analyzing apatite layer formation.
Main Results:
- Both MBG/PCL and BG/PCL composites showed improved hydrophilicity compared to pure PCL.
- MBG/PCL composites exhibited superior hydrophilicity compared to BG/PCL composites.
- MBG/PCL scaffolds induced a dense, continuous apatite layer in SBF, while BG/PCL scaffolds showed scattered apatite particles.
Conclusions:
- Mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) incorporation significantly enhances the hydrophilicity and bioactivity of polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds.
- MBG/PCL composite scaffolds demonstrate superior apatite-forming ability compared to BG/PCL scaffolds.
- These enhanced properties make MBG/PCL scaffolds promising candidates for advanced applications in tissue engineering, particularly for bone regeneration.

