Comparative studies on thin polycaprolactone-tricalcium phosphate composite scaffolds and its interaction with...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Hybrid scaffolds combining biodegradable polymers and ceramics are crucial for tissue engineering, offering enhanced control over cell adhesion and proliferation.
• Existing methods for creating thin, porous hybrid scaffolds with stem cell support often involve complex procedures.
• A simple fabrication method for porous, biodegradable hybrid scaffolds with effective cell adhesion factors remains a significant need.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop thin, biodegradable hybrid scaffolds using poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and α-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) with gelatin and fibronectin.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these hybrid scaffolds in supporting human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) for tissue engineering applications.
• To compare the properties of porous and non-porous hybrid scaffolds fabricated via a simple modified solvent casting and gas foaming method.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of thin PCL-based hybrid scaffolds incorporating α-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) particles, gelatin, and fibronectin using a modified solvent casting and gas foaming technique.
• Characterization of scaffold properties including TCP distribution (EDX), morphology (SEM), biodegradability, and functional groups (FTIR).
• In vitro evaluation of cellular behavior using hMSCs, including cell attachment (live/dead assay), proliferation (CCK-8 assay), and histological studies.

Main Results:

• Thin PCL-TCP hybrid scaffolds were successfully fabricated with homogeneous TCP distribution.
• Non-porous thin films of PCL-TCP, PCL-TCP-gelatin, and PCL-TCP-fibronectin demonstrated significantly enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and tissue regeneration.
• Fibronectin coating notably improved cell adhesion and proliferation.

Conclusions:

• Designed PCL-TCP thin hybrid films exhibit excellent cell interaction and proliferation with hMSCs.
• These thin PCL-TCP hybrid films are suitable for tissue engineering applications due to their cell viability, attachment, proliferation, biodegradation, and coating effects.