Poly-ε-caprolactone composite scaffolds for bone repair

• Published in: International journal of molecular medicine Vol. 34; no. 6; p. 1537
• Main Authors: Di Liddo, R, Paganin, P, Lora, S, Dalzoppo, D, Giraudo, C, Miotto, D, Tasso, A, Barbon, S, Artico, M, Bianchi, E, Parnigotto, P P, Conconi, M T, Grandi, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01-12-2014
• Subjects: Alginates - chemistry; Animals; Bone and Bones - cytology; Bone and Bones - drug effects; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone Marrow Cells - drug effects; Bone Marrow Cells - metabolism; Bone Substitutes - chemistry; Bone Substitutes - pharmacology; Cell Adhesion - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit - genetics; Durapatite - chemistry; Durapatite - pharmacology; Extracellular Matrix - chemistry; Gene Expression - drug effects; Glucuronic Acid - chemistry; Hexuronic Acids - chemistry; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - drug effects; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - metabolism; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - ultrastructure; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Osteocalcin - genetics; Osteogenesis - drug effects; Osteogenesis - genetics; Osteopontin - genetics; Polyesters - chemistry; Polyesters - pharmacology; Rabbits; Rats; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Time Factors; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; X-Ray Microtomography
• ISSN: 1791-244X
• DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2014.1954

Synthetic biomaterials combined with cells and osteogenic factors represent a promising approach for the treatment of a number of orthopedic diseases, such as bone trauma and congenital malformations. To guarantee optimal biological properties, bone substitutes are prepared with a 3D structure and porosity grade functional to drive cell migration and proliferation, diffusion of factors, vascularization and cell waste expulsion. In this study, synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) or rat bone extracellular matrix (BP) were examined in an effort to optimize the mechanical properties and osteogenic activity of poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds prepared with alginate threads (PCL-AT). Using rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs), the effects of PCL composite substrates on cell adhesion, growth and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated. Micro-CT analysis and scanning electron microscopy evidenced that porous PCL scaffolds containing HA or BP acquire a trabecular bone-like structure with interconnected pores homogenously distributed and are characterized by a pore diameter of approximately 10 µm (PCL-AT-BP) or ranging from 10 to 100 µm. Although the porosity grade of both PCL-AT-HA and PCL-AT-BP promoted optimal conditions for the cell growth of rMSCs at the early phase, the presence of BP was crucial to prolong the cell viability at the late phase. Moreover, a precocious expression of Runx2 (at 7 days) was observed in PCL-AT-BP in combination with osteogenic soluble factors suggesting that BP controls better than HA the osteogenic maturation process in bone substitutes.