title: Optimized electro- and wet-spinning techniques for the production of polymeric fibrous scaffolds loaded with bisphosphonate and hydroxyapatite.
abstract: This research activity was aimed at the development of composite bioactive scaffolds made of biodegradable three-arm branched-star poly(ε-caprolactone) (*PCL), hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HNPs) and clodronate (CD), a bisphosphonate that has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various bone diseases and as an anti-inflammatory drug. During the experimental work, the processing conditions for the fabrication of fibrous meshes, by either electrospinning or wet-spinning, were optimized. Stemming from a previous research activity on electrospinning of *PCL, *PCL/HNPs 3D meshes were developed, evaluating the influence of fabrication parameters on the fibres' morphology. By exploiting the binding affinity of bisphosphonates for hydroxyapatite, a methodology was set up for obtaining a physical linkage between CD and HNPs, with the aim of having a dual bioactive system loaded into *PCL fibrous mats. Fibres loaded with either CD or CD-HNP particles were thus produced and analysed by scanning electron microscopy for their morphology and by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for their elemental composition.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioactive Polymeric Materials for Biomedical and Environmental Applications, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puppi
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiellini
authors.forename: Emo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chiellini
authors.forename: Albino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Isabel B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Leonor
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D004002:Clodronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D011208:Powders; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D011208:Powders; D014867:Water; D004002:Clodronic Acid; C016240:polycaprolactone; D017886:Durapatite