In vitro mineralization of hydroxyapatite on electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(ɛ-caprolactone) fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering application

In Vitro Biological Evaluation of a Fabricated Polycaprolactone/Pomegranate Electrospun Scaffold for Bone Regeneration

Different scaffold biomaterials are being investigated as a solution for bone loss due to disease or trauma. The aim of this study is the fabrication, characterization, and in vitro biological evaluation of a novel polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoscaffold incorporating pomegranate peel extract (PG) for bone regeneration. Using electrospinning, three groups of scaffolds were prepared: the control group PCL and two groups of PCL with PG concentrations (11 and 18 weight %). The antioxidant activity and the total phenolic content (TPC) of the fabricated nanoscaffolds were evaluated, in addition to the porosity and degradation measurement. Cultured osteoblasts derived from rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were used for the assessment of cell proliferation and attachment on the scaffold's surface. Scaffolds' characterization showed uniform nanofibers (NFs) with a fiber diameter range of 149-168 nm. Meanwhile, higher antioxidant activity and TPC of the PG groups were detected. Furthermore, total porosities of 59 and 62% were determined for the PCL-PG scaffolds. An increased degradation rate and significant improvement in cell proliferation and cell attachment were revealed for the PCL-PG fabricated scaffolds. Such incorporation of natural food waste, PG, in PCL NFs offered novel PCL-PG scaffolds as a promising candidate for bone regeneration applications.

A comprehensive review of electrospinning block copolymers

Electrospinning provides a versatile and cost-effective route for the generation of continuous nanofibres with high surface area-to-volume ratio from various polymers. In parallel, block copolymers (BCPs) are promising candidates for many diverse applications, where nanoscale operation is exploited, owing to their intrinsic self-assembling behaviour at these length scales. Judicious combination of BCPs (with their ability to make nanosized domains at equilibrium) and electrospinning (with its ability to create nano- and microsized fibres and particles) allows one to create BCPs with high surface area-to-volume ratio to deliver higher efficiency or efficacy in their given application. Here, we give a comprehensive overview of the wide range of reports on BCP electrospinning with focus placed on the use of molecular design alongside control over specific electrospinning type and post-treatment methodologies to control the properties of the resultant fibrous materials. Particular attention is paid to the applications of these materials, most notably, their use as biomaterials, separation membranes, sensors, and electronic materials.

Preparation of Nano-Hydroxyapatite Coated Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Hydroxyapatite Composites

Uniform and dense nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) coating with nanorod-shaped structure was fabricated on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by combining electrodeposition with biomineralization. The CNTs with nHA coating (nHA–CNTs) were used as reinforcement to improve the mechanical properties of HA. Firstly, a mixed acid solution of nitric acid and sulfuric acid was used to treat CNTs (NS–CNTs). The dispersion of NS–CNTs was obviously improved, and O-containing functional groups were grafted on the surfaces of NS–CNTs by treatment. Then, calcium phosphate (CaP) was deposited on NS–CNTs by electrodeposition, and NS–CNTs were provided with numerous active nucleation sites for the next coating preparation process. Then nanorod-shaped HA crystals were obtained on the surfaces of NS–CNTs by biomineralization. Using the CNTs with nHA coating (nHA–CNTs) as reinforcement, HA-based composites reinforced with CNTs and nHA–CNTs (nHA–CNTs/HA) were fabricated by pressure-less process. Bending strength and fracture toughness of 1.0 wt % nHA–CNTs reinforced HA composites (HAnC1) reaches a maximum (30.77 MPa and 2.59 MPa), which increased by 26.94% and 7.02% compared with 1.0 wt % CNTs reinforced HA composites, respectively. Importantly, the fracture toughness of HAnC1 is within the range of that to compact bone. This work provides theoretical and practical guidance for preparing nHA coating on nanomaterials. It also contributes to the potential application of nHA–CNTs/HA composites for artificial bone implants.

The fabrication of biomineralized fiber-aligned PLGA scaffolds and their effect on enhancing osteogenic differentiation of UCMSC cells

The key factor of scaffold design for bone tissue engineering is to mimic the microenvironment of natural bone extracellular matrix (ECM) and guide cell osteogenic differentiation. The biomineralized fiber-aligned PLGA scaffolds (a-PLGA/CaPs) was developed in this study by mimicking the structure and composition of native bone ECM. The aligned PLGA fibers was prepared by wet spinning and then biomineralized via an alternate immersion method. Introduction of a bioceramic component CaP onto the PLGA fibers led to changes in surface roughness and hydrophilicity, which showed to modulate cell adhesion and cell morphology of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). It was found that organized actin filaments of UCMSCs cultured on both a-PLGA and a-PLGA/CaP scaffolds appeared to follow contact guidance along the aligned fibers, and those cells grown on a-PLGA/CaP scaffolds exhibited a more polarized cellular morphology. The a-PLGA/CaP scaffold with multicycles of mineralization facilitated the cell attachment on the fiber surfaces and then supported better cell adhesion and contact guidance, leading to enhancement in following proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of UCMSCs. Our results give some insights into the regulation of cell behaviors through design of ECM-mimicking structure and composition and provide an alternative wet-spun fiber-aligned scaffold with HA-mineralized layer for bone tissue engineering application.

Phosphoprotein/chitosan electrospun nanofibrous scaffold for biomineralization

In this study, negatively charged phosvitin (PV) and positively charged chitosan (CS) were alternately deposited on negatively charged cellulose mats via layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. Morphologies of the LBL films coating mats were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Afterwards, in vitro biomimetic mineralization was carried out through incubation of the fibrous mats in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution for different time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the morphology and structure of the deposited mineral phase on the scaffolds. In addition, the cell culture experiment demonstrated that the scaffolds with the LBL structured films were of good cell compatibility for MC3T3-E1 cells. Moreover, the cell proliferation was affected by the number of deposition layers and the composition of outer-most layer. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and SEM imaging revealed a good performance of cell adhesion and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells on the surface of biocomposite scaffold. So CS/PV nanofibrous mats were satisfactory for the composite to be used in bioapplications.

Degradability, cytocompatibility, and osteogenesis of porous scaffolds of nanobredigite and PCL-PEG-PCL composite

Biocomposite scaffolds were fabricated by incorporation of nanobredigite (n-BD) into the polymer of poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethyleneglycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL). The results revealed that the addition of n-BD into PCL-PEG-PCL significantly improved water absorption, compressive strength, and degradability of the scaffolds of n-BD/PCL-PEG-PCL composite (n-BPC) compared with PCL-PEG-PCL scaffolds alone. In addition, the proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of MG63 cells cultured on n-BPC scaffolds were obviously higher than that cultured on PCL-PEG-PCL scaffolds. Moreover, the results of the histological evaluation from the animal model revealed that the n-BPC scaffolds significantly improved new bone formation compared with the PCL-PEG-PCL scaffolds, indicating good osteogenesis. The n-BPC scaffolds with good biocompatibility could stimulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and bone tissue regeneration and would be an excellent candidate for bone defect repair.

Hydroxyapatite-hybridized chitosan/chitin whisker bionanocomposite fibers for bone tissue engineering applications

Biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds derived from natural biopolymers for bone tissue engineering applications require good mechanical and biological performances including biomineralization. The present work proposes the utility of chitin whisker (CTWK) to enhance mechanical properties of chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (CS/PVA) nanofibers and to offer osteoblast cell growth with hydroxyapatite (HA) mineralization. By using diacid as a solvent, electrospun CS/PVA nanofibrous membranes containing CTWK can be easily obtained. The dimension stability of nanofibrous CS/PVA/CTWK bionanocomposite is further controlled by exposing to glutaraldehyde vapor. The nanofibrous membranes obtained allow mineralization of HA in concentrated simulated body fluid resulting in an improvement of Young's modulus and tensile strength. The CTWK combined with HA in bionanocomposite is a key to promote osteoblast cell adhesion and proliferation. The present work, for the first time, demonstrates the use of CTWKs for bionanocomposite fibers of chitosan and its hydroxyapatite biomineralization with the function in osteoblast cell culture. These hydroxyapatite-hybridized CS/PVA/CTWK bionanocomposite fibers (CS/PVA/CTWK-HA) offer a great potential for bone tissue engineering applications.

Bioactivity assessment of PLLA/PCL/HAP electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

AIMS

The purpose of this paper was to fabricate PLLA/PCL nanofibrous scaffolds containing HAP to mimic the native bone extracellular matrix for potential applications as bone tissue engineering scaffolds materials and ultimately to help the repairing of bone defects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PLLA (MW 200kDa), PCL (MW 80kDa), HAP, dichloromethane, N,N-dimethylformamide; α-MEM, FBS, trypsin-EDTA, penicillin G, streptomycin, β-sodium glycerophosphate, l-ascorbic acid, dexamethasone; CCK-8, Alkaline Phosphatase Assay Kit, Mouse Osteocalcin ELISA Kit, MC3T3-E1 cells. PLLA, PCL and HAP were dissolved in the solution of DCM and DMF to fabricate nanofibrous scaffolds through electrospinning. The morphology of the scaffolds was investigated with SEM, while the diameter of the fibers, pore size and water uptake of the scaffolds were tested, respectively. TGA was carried out to verify the percentage of HAP in the composite scaffolds fabricated with different HAP concentrations. Cell count kit-8 assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, and osteocalcin assay were applied to observe the MC3T3-E1 cells proliferation, differentiation on the composite scaffolds.

KEY FINDINGS

MC3T3-E1 cells were found to grow actively on the composite scaffolds based on the results of CCK-8 assay. The level of MC3T3-E1 differentiation was evaluated through the ALP activity and osteocalcin concentration, which showed higher value with HAP containing (PLLA/PCL/HAP) than that ones without (PLLA/PCL).

SIGNIFICANCE

The results demonstrated that the biocomposite PLLA/PCL/HAP nanofibrous scaffold should be a promising candidate for proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts, and potentially can be used for bone tissue regeneration.

When 1+1>2: Nanostructured composites for hard tissue engineering applications

Multicomponent, synergistic and multifunctional nanostructures have taken over the spotlight in the realm of biomedical nanotechnologies. The most prospective materials for bone regeneration today are almost exclusively composites comprising two or more components that compensate for the shortcomings of each one of them alone. This is quite natural in view of the fact that all hard tissues in the human body, except perhaps the tooth enamel, are composite nanostructures. This review article highlights some of the most prospective breakthroughs made in this research direction, with the hard tissues in main focus being those comprising bone, tooth cementum, dentin and enamel. The major obstacles to creating collagen/apatite composites modeled after the structure of bone are mentioned, including the immunogenicity of xenogeneic collagen and continuously failing attempts to replicate the biomineralization process in vitro. Composites comprising a polymeric component and calcium phosphate are discussed in light of their ability to emulate the soft/hard composite structure of bone. Hard tissue engineering composites created using hard material components other than calcium phosphates, including silica, metals and several types of nanotubes, are also discoursed on, alongside additional components deliverable using these materials, such as cells, growth factors, peptides, antibiotics, antiresorptive and anabolic agents, pharmacokinetic conjugates and various cell-specific targeting moieties. It is concluded that a variety of hard tissue structures in the body necessitates a similar variety of biomaterials for their regeneration. The ongoing development of nanocomposites for bone restoration will result in smart, theranostic materials, capable of acting therapeutically in direct feedback with the outcome of in situ disease monitoring at the cellular and subcellular scales. Progress in this research direction is expected to take us to the next generation of biomaterials, designed with the purpose of fulfilling Daedalus' dream - not restoring the tissues, but rather augmenting them.

Physical and biological activities of newly designed, macro-pore-structure-controlled 3D fibrous poly(ε-caprolactone)/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds

A 3D fibrous scaffold using an electrohydrodynamic jet process supplemented with in vitro mineralization to obtain a hydroxyapatite layer in simulated body fluid was fabricated.

Highly roughened polycaprolactone surfaces using oxygen plasma-etching and in vitro mineralization for bone tissue regeneration: fabrication, characterization, and cellular activities

Herein, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) surfaces were treated to form various roughness values (R(a)=290-445 nm) and polar functional groups on the surfaces using a plasma-etching process, followed by immersion into simulated body fluid (SBF) for apatite formation. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and mean roughness of the plasma-etched PCL surfaces were measured, and various physical and morphological properties (water contact angles, protein absorption ability, and crystallite size of the apatite layer) of the in vitro mineralized PCL surfaces were evaluated. The roughened PCL surface P-3, which was treated with a sufficient plasma exposure time (4 h), achieved homogeneously distributed apatite formation after soaking in SBF for 7 days, as compared with other surfaces that were untreated or plasma-treated for 30 min or 2 h. Furthermore, to demonstrate their feasibility as a biomimetic surface, pre-osteoblast cells (MC3T3-E1) were cultured on the mineralized PCL surfaces, and cell viability, DAPI-phalloidin fluorescence assay, and alizarin red-staining of the P-3 surface were highly improved compared to the P-1 surface treated with a 30-min plasma exposure time; compared to untreated mineralized PCL surface (N-P), P-3 showed even greater improvements in cell viability and DAPI-phalloidin fluorescence assay. Based on these results, we found that the mineralized PCL surface supplemented with the appropriate plasma treatment can be implicitly helpful to achieve rapid hard tissue regeneration.