Biocompatibility of hydroxyethyl cellulose/glycine/RuO₂ composite scaffolds for neural-like cells

Fabrication of scaffolds for nerve regeneration is one of the most challenging topics in regenerative medicine at the moment, which is also interlinked with the development of biocompatible substrates for cells growth. This work is targeted towards the development of green biomaterial composite scaffolds for nerve cell culture applications. Hybrid scaffolds of hydroxyethyl cellulose/glycine (HEC/Gly) composite doped with different concentrations of green ruthenium oxide (RuO₂) were synthesized and characterized via a combination of different techniques. X-rays diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed a crystalline nature for all the samples with noticeable decrease in the peak intensity of the fabricated scaffolds as compared to that for pure glycine. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) tests revealed an increase in the vibrational bands of the synthesized RuO₂ containing scaffolds which are related to the functional groups of the natural plant extract (Aspalathuslinearis) used for RuO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results revealed a 3D porous structure of the scaffolds with variant features attributed to the concentration of RuO₂ NPs in the scaffold. The compressive test results recorded an enhancement in mechanical properties of the fabricated scaffolds (up to 8.55 MPa), proportionally correlated to increasing the RuO₂ NPs concentration in HEC/Gly composite scaffold. Our biocompatibility tests revealed that the composite scaffolds doped with 1 and 2 ml of RuO₂ demonstrated the highest proliferation percentages (152.2 and 135.6%) compared to control. Finally, the SEM analyses confirmed the impressive cells attachments and differentiation onto the scaffold surfaces as evidenced by the presence of many neuron-like cells with apparent cell bodies and possessing few short neurite-like processes. The presence of RuO₂ and glycine was due to their extraordinary biocompatibility due to their cytoprotective and regenerative effects. Therefore, we conclude that these scaffolds are promising for accommodation and growth of neural-like cells.