3D printed dual macro-, microscale porous network as a tissue engineering scaffold with drug delivering function

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Macroporous scaffolds are crucial for regenerating large tissue defects from cancer.
• Adjuvant drug therapy is vital for preventing disease recurrence and infection.
• Current scaffolds have limitations in drug loading capacity due to low surface area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel macroporous scaffolds with integrated microscale porosity.
• To enhance drug loading efficiency and control drug release kinetics.
• To create scaffolds for tissue engineering with combined therapeutic functionalities.

Main Methods:

• Combined 3D printing with porogen leaching to create dual-porosity scaffolds.
• Fabricated polycaprolactone scaffolds with 0.7 mm macropores and 20-70 μm micro-pores (~40% micro-porosity).
• Soak-loaded scaffolds with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cefazolin, achieving >80% loading efficiency.

Main Results:

• Microscale porosity significantly reduced initial burst drug release.
• Sustained drug release observed up to 200h (doxorubicin), 500h (paclitaxel), and 150h (cefazolin).
• Cell assays confirmed bioactivity and dose-dependent responses of drug-loaded scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Developed a novel dual micro- and macroporous scaffold for tissue engineering.
• Demonstrated efficient drug loading and sustained release capabilities.
• These scaffolds show potential for preventing post-surgery complications in cancer treatment.