Polyester Scaffolds with Bimodal Pore Size Distribution for Tissue Engineering

✍ Scribed by Stanislaw Sosnowski; Piotr Woźniak; Małgorzata Lewandowska-Szumieł

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 414 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1616-5187
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.200600003

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Summary: This paper presents a method for the preparation of porous poly(L‐lactide)/poly[(L‐lactide)‐co‐glycolide] scaffolds for tissue engineering. Scaffolds were prepared by a mold pressing‐salt leaching technique from structured microparticles. The total porosity was in the range 70–85%. The pore size distribution was bimodal. Large pores, susceptible for osteoblasts growth and proliferation had the dimensions 50–400 µm. Small pores, dedicated to the diffusion of nutrients or/and metabolites of bone forming cells, as well as the products of hydrolysis of polyesters from the walls of the scaffold, had sizes in the range 2 nm–5 µm. The scaffolds had good mechanical strength (compressive modulus equal to 41 MPa and a strength of 1.64 MPa for 74% porosity). Scaffolds were tested in vitro with human osteoblast‐like cells (MG‐63). It was found that the viability of cells seeded within the scaffolds obtained using the mold pressing‐salt leaching technique from structured microparticles was better when compared to cells cultured in scaffolds obtained by traditional methods. After 34 d of culture, cells within the tested scaffolds were organized in a tissue‐like structure.

Photos of section of macro‐ and mesoporous PLLA/PLGA scaffold containing 50 wt.‐% of PLGA microspheres after 34 d of culture. Dark spots mark MG‐63 cells, white areas belong to the scaffold. The specimen was stained with haematoxylin/eosin. Bar = 100 µm.

magnified imagePhotos of section of macro‐ and mesoporous PLLA/PLGA scaffold containing 50 wt.‐% of PLGA microspheres after 34 d of culture. Dark spots mark MG‐63 cells, white areas belong to the scaffold. The specimen was stained with haematoxylin/eosin. Bar = 100 µm.