Article

Improving pore interconnectivity in polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Chemical Engineering Department and Bioengineering Division and Centre for Bioengineering, Hacettepe University and Biyomedtek, Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (impact factor: 3.28). 07/2009; 3(6):470-6. DOI:10.1002/term.187 pp.470-6
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT A new scaffold fabrication technique aiming to enhance pore interconnectivity for tissue engineering has been developed. Medical grade poly(lactic acid) was utilized to generate scaffolds by a solvent-evaporating/particulate-leaching technique, using a new dual-porogen system. Water-soluble sodium chloride particles were used to control macro-pore size in the range 106-255 microm, while organic naphthalene was utilized as a porogen to increase pore interconnections. The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the scaffolds manufactured with and without naphthalene was examined by optical coherence tomography and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were characterized by compression tests. MG63 osteoblast cells were seeded in the scaffolds to study the cell attachment and viability evaluated by confocal microscopy. It was revealed that introducing naphthalene as the second porogen in the solvent-evaporating/particulate-leaching process resulted in improvement of the pore interconnectivity. Cells grew in both scaffolds fabricated with and without naphthalene. They exhibited strong green fluorescence when using a live/dead fluorescent dye kit, indicating that the naphthalene in the scaffold process did not affect cell viability.

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Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

cell viability
 
compression tests
 
control macro-pore size
 
increase pore interconnections
 
live/dead fluorescent dye kit
 
mechanical properties
 
Medical grade poly(lactic acid)
 
MG63 osteoblast cells
 
new dual-porogen system
 
new scaffold fabrication technique
 
optical coherence tomography
 
pore interconnectivity
 
scaffolds
 
scaffolds fabricated
 
scanning electron microscopy
 
second porogen
 
solvent-evaporating/particulate-leaching technique
 
tissue engineering
 
viability
 
Water-soluble sodium chloride particles
 

H M Aydin