Accelerated calcification in electrically conductive polymer composites comprised of poly(epsilon-caprolactone),...

In this study the fabrication and characterization of an electrically conductive composite material comprised of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), polyaniline (PANi), and bioactive mesoporous silicon (BioSilicon) is discussed. The influence of PANi and silicon on calcium phosphate induction was assessed via ex vitro calcification analyses (by acellular simulated body fluid (SBF) exposure) both with and without electrical bias. Acceleration of calcium phosphate formation is one possible desirable feature of "smart" synthetic scaffolds for selected orthopedic-relevant applications. In addition, electrical stability assays were performed in growth medium (DMEM) to determine the stability of such structures to bias in an authentic electrolyte during a typical cell experiment. The cytocompatibility of the composites was evaluated in vitro using human kidney fibroblasts (HEK 293) cell proliferation assays, along with more orthopedically relevant mesenchymal stem cells from mouse stroma. Importantly, these composites demonstrate accelerated calcification in SBF when electrical bias is applied cathodically to the scaffold. Furthermore, these scaffolds exhibit noncytotoxic behavior in the presence of fibroblasts over an 8-day culture period, and attachment of stromal cells to the semiconducting scaffold was directly imaged via scanning electron microscopy. Overall, these results suggest that materials of this type of composition have potential merit as a biomaterial.