title: Three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering: the importance of uniformity in pore size and structure.
abstract: To validate the importance of uniformity in pore size and structure of a scaffold for tissue engineering, we fabricated two types of scaffolds with uniform (inverse opal scaffolds) and nonuniform pore sizes and structures, and then evaluated their properties in terms of diffusion of macromolecules, spatial distribution of fibroblasts, and differentiation of preosteoblasts. Our results confirmed the superior performance of the inverse opal scaffolds due to the uniform pore size, homogeneous environment, and high interconnectivity: a higher diffusion rate, a uniform distribution of cells, and a higher degree of differentiation. In addition, we found that both the differentiation of cells and secretion of extracellular matrix were dependent on the properties of the individual pore to which the cells were attached, rather than the bulk properties of a scaffold. Our results clearly indicate that inverse opal scaffolds could provide a better microenvironment for cells in comparison to a scaffold with nonuniform size and structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States.
authors.forename: Sung-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Younan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004058:Diffusion; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008853:Microscopy; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D016062:Porosity; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D000077182:Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; D011100:Polyglycolic Acid; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase