Electrospun polycaprolactone 3D nanofibrous scaffold with interconnected and hierarchically structured pores for bone...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Natural extracellular matrix (ECM) provides structural and functional support for cells.
• Developing synthetic scaffolds that mimic natural ECM is crucial for tissue regeneration.
• Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer widely used in biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) 3D nanofibrous scaffold.
• To characterize the scaffold's structural and mechanical properties.
• To evaluate the scaffold's potential for bone regeneration by assessing cell differentiation and in vivo efficacy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a PCL 3D nanofibrous scaffold using thermally induced self-agglomeration and freeze-drying.
• Characterization of pore structure, porosity, and mechanical properties (softness, elasticity).
• In vitro assessment of cell viability and BMP2-induced differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.
• In vivo evaluation of the scaffold's performance in bone regeneration.

Main Results:

• The PCL scaffold exhibited interconnected, hierarchical pores (up to ≈300 μm) and high porosity (≈96.4%).
• The scaffold demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, supporting high cell viability in vitro.
• The scaffold significantly promoted BMP2-induced chondrogenic differentiation over osteogenic differentiation.
• In vivo studies confirmed the scaffold's efficacy in functional bone regeneration via endochondral ossification.

Conclusions:

• The developed electrospun PCL 3D nanofibrous scaffold mimics natural ECM.
• The scaffold is a promising biomaterial for promoting chondrogenesis and bone regeneration.
• This novel scaffold facilitates functional bone tissue formation through a physiological process.