Investigation of particle-functionalized tissue engineering scaffolds using X-ray tomographic microscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Chitosan and poly-(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) are widely used biomaterials.
• Developing composite scaffolds with controlled microstructures is crucial for advanced biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a low-density, porous chitosan/PLGA microparticle composite scaffold.
• To characterize the scaffold's microstructure and the distribution of PLGA inclusions.
• To assess the potential for tissue engineering and controlled drug release.

Main Methods:

• Thermally induced phase separation and lyophilization were employed for scaffold fabrication.
• Nanotomography reconstructions were used to analyze the morphology and distribution of PLGA particles.
• Cluster analysis determined the spatial arrangement and nearest-neighbor distances of inclusions.

Main Results:

• A bicontinuous microstructure with homogenous PLGA inclusion distribution was achieved.
• The mean nearest-neighbor inter-inclusion distance was 2.5 micrometers.
• Inclusion depth distribution suggests step-wise drug release during scaffold degradation.

Conclusions:

• The characterized composite scaffold morphology is fundamental for predicting degradation and drug release kinetics.
• This scaffold shows promise for applications in tissue engineering and locally controlled drug delivery.