A core-shell guanosine diphosphate crosslinked chitosan scaffold as a potential co-encapsulation platform

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Mimicking native tissue architecture requires advanced scaffolds for co-encapsulating cells and growth factors.
• Multi-compartmental scaffolds are crucial for controlled co-culture applications in tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel core-shell scaffold platform for co-culture applications.
• To evaluate the fabrication, microstructure, and cellular compatibility of the guanosine diphosphate cross-linked chitosan scaffold.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a core-shell scaffold using chitosan and guanosine diphosphate in a three-step process.
• Characterization of scaffold microstructure, including pore connectivity and closed porosity.
• Co-encapsulation and culture of pre-osteoblastic MC-3T3 cells and endothelial cells.

Main Results:

• The core-shell scaffold exhibited a microstructure similar to standard sponges with high pore connectivity and low closed porosity (<0.4%).
• Viable cell populations were maintained, with enhanced cellular functionality observed when ascorbic acid was co-encapsulated.
• Proof-of-concept co-culture demonstrated homogeneous cell distribution within their designated compartments.

Conclusions:

• The developed core-shell scaffold is a promising platform for co-culture in tissue engineering.
• This scaffold technology supports cell viability and functionality, indicating potential for multiple tissue regeneration applications.