Three-dimensional porous scaffolds based on agarose/chitosan/graphene oxide composite for tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Developing advanced biomaterials is crucial for effective tissue regeneration.
• Agarose and chitosan are biocompatible polymers with limitations in mechanical strength and degradation control.
• Graphene oxide (GO) offers unique properties that can enhance composite biomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds using an agarose/chitosan/graphene oxide (ACGO) composite.
• To investigate the impact of graphene oxide (GO) content on the physicochemical and biological properties of ACGO scaffolds.
• To evaluate the suitability of ACGO composite scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ACGO composite scaffolds using the freeze-drying technique.
• Characterization of scaffold morphology and composition via FTIR, XRD, and SEM.
• Assessment of porosity, swelling, water retention, compressive strength, enzymatic degradation, cytotoxicity, and cell attachment.

Main Results:

• ACGO scaffolds exhibited well-defined interconnected pores and rough surface morphology.
• Increased GO content enhanced porosity, swelling, water retention, and compressive strength.
• GO addition decreased scaffold degradation rate and demonstrated adequate hemocompatibility and Vero cell proliferation.
• Cell attachment studies confirmed GO provides a favorable environment for cell growth.

Conclusions:

• ACGO composite scaffolds possess tunable physicochemical and biological properties.
• The incorporation of GO significantly improves the performance of agarose/chitosan scaffolds.
• These ACGO composite scaffolds show promise as reliable materials for tissue engineering applications.