3D Poly (L-lactic acid) fibrous sponge with interconnected porous structure for bone tissue scaffold

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Large bone defects from trauma or disease pose significant clinical challenges.
• Traditional electrospun scaffolds lack interconnected macropores and are 2D, limiting their use in bone regeneration.
• Natural extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a structural template for tissue regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a 3D sponge-like scaffold mimicking natural ECM for bone tissue engineering.
• To improve scaffold properties like porosity, interconnectivity, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility.
• To evaluate the scaffold's potential for promoting osteoblast cell growth and infiltration for bone defect repair.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a sponge-like scaffold using electrospinning, homogenization, porogen leaching, and shaping.
• Incorporation of bioactive glass (BG) particles into poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)/polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers.
• Characterization of scaffold porosity, pore interconnectivity, and water contact angle.
• In-vitro assessment of cell viability, proliferation, and infiltration using Saos-2 osteoblast cells over 10 days.

Main Results:

• The developed scaffold exhibited a highly porous structure (85.9% porosity) with interconnected macropores, resembling natural ECM.
• Incorporation of BG particles improved scaffold hydrophilicity (water contact angle of 79.7°) and biocompatibility.
• Significant increases in Saos-2 cell proliferation rates were observed (195.4% at day 7, 281.6% at day 10).
• Saos-2 cells successfully grew, proliferated, and infiltrated the 3D scaffold structure.

Conclusions:

• The 3D PLLA/PCL scaffold with BG effectively mimics the natural ECM structure and enhances osteoblast cell response.
• This novel scaffold demonstrates excellent potential for bone tissue engineering applications, particularly in repairing large bone defects.
• The developed fabrication method offers a convenient approach for creating advanced scaffolds for regenerative medicine.