Poly(dopamine) coating of 3D printed poly(lactic acid) scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• 3D printing offers versatile fabrication of polymer scaffolds.
• Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a common biomaterial.
• Regulating cell interactions with scaffolds is crucial for tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop functionalized 3D printed PLA scaffolds using a mussel-inspired coating.
• To investigate the effect of polydopamine (PDA) coating on human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs).
• To assess scaffold-mediated regulation of hADSC adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D printed PLA scaffolds.
• Coating of PLA scaffolds with polydopamine (PDA).
• Characterization of PDA/PLA scaffolds using XPS.
• Culturing hADSCs on PLA and PDA/PLA scaffolds.
• Assessing cell adhesion, proliferation, collagen I secretion, osteogenesis (ALP, osteocalcin), and angiogenic markers (ang-1, vWF).

Main Results:

• PDA/PLA scaffolds significantly enhanced hADSC adhesion, proliferation, and cell cycle progression compared to PLA scaffolds.
• Collagen I secretion and cell attachment were increased, dependent on PDA content.
• Osteogenic differentiation markers (ALP, osteocalcin) were significantly higher on PDA/PLA scaffolds.
• Angiogenic markers (ang-1, vWF) were upregulated in hADSCs cultured on PDA/PLA scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Bio-inspired polydopamine coating on 3D printed PLA scaffolds enhances hADSC responses.
• Functionalized scaffolds can direct specific cellular behaviors like adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.
• This approach offers a simple technique to create active synthetic scaffolds for regenerative medicine.