Electrospun Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) Nanofibers with Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Mimic Cellular Interplay...

This study investigates the impact of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles (NPs) on the cellular responses of poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) scaffolds in bone tissue engineering applications. Three types of PLCL scaffolds were fabricated, varying in HANPs content. Saos-2 osteoblast-like cells (OBs) and THP-1-derived osteoclast-like cells (OCs) were co-cultured on the scaffolds, and cell proliferation was assessed using the MTS assay. The amount of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) was quantified to evaluate cell proliferation. Expression levels of OBs and OCs markers were analyzed via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the production of Collagen type I was visualized using confocal microscopy. Additionally, enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP or ACP5) was measured to assess OB and OC function, respectively. Interestingly, despite the scaffold's structured character supporting the growth of the Saos-2 OBs and THP-1-derived OCs coculture, the incorporation of HANPs did not significantly enhance cellular responses compared to scaffolds without HANPs, except for collagen type I production. These findings suggest the need for further investigation into the potential benefits of HANPs in bone tissue engineering applications. Nevertheless, our study contributes valuable insights into optimizing biomaterial design for bone tissue regeneration, with implications for drug screening and material testing protocols.