Tissue engineering polymeric microcarriers with macroporous morphology and bone-bioactive surface
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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Distinctive Capillary Action by Micro-channels in Bone-like Templates can Enhance Recruitment of Cells for Restoration of Large Bony Defect
Published on: September 11, 2015
Seok-Jung Hong1, Hye-Sun Yu, Hae-Won Kim
1Department of Biomaterials Science, School of Dentistry and Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan, Korea.
Abstract:
PCL microspheres featuring a macroporous morphology and a bone-bioactive surface have been prepared. 'Camphene' was introduced to generate pores within the microsphere network. The pore size was variable from a few to tens to hundreds of microm depending on the Camphene/PCL ratio. Macropores (with sizes >50 microm) could be obtained with a Camphene/PCL ratio exceeding 6. The microsphere surface was further tailored with apatite mineral phase through solution-mediated precipitation, to endow the interface with bone bioactivity. Rat bone marrow stromal cells attached and spread actively on microspheres and populated well within their macropores. The developed microspheres may be potentially applicable as a cell delivery scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

