title: Microwave-assisted fabrication of chitosan-hydroxyapatite superporous hydrogel composites as bone scaffolds.
abstract: In this study, a novel scaffold fabrication method was developed by combining microwave irradiation and gas foaming. Chitosan superporous hydrogels (SPHs) and chitosan-hydroxyapatite (HA) superporous hydrogel composites (SPHCs) were prepared by using this method in the presence of crosslinking agent, glyoxal, and a gas-blowing agent, NaHCO3. In order to examine the effect of HA on composite structure and cellular behaviour, two types of HA particles, i.e. spherical beads in 45-80 µm diameter and powder form, were used. While rapid heating with microwave irradiation enhances gas blowing, pH increment, which is accelerated by NaHCO3 decomposition, provides better crosslinking. Thus, interconnected and well-established macroporous hydrogels/hydrogel composites were produced easily and rapidly (~1 min). Cell culture studies, which were carried out under static and dynamic conditions with MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblastic cells, indicated that chitosan-HA bead SPHCs supported cellular proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation better than chitosan SPHs and chitosan-HA powder SPHCs. In conclusion, simultaneous gas foaming and microwave crosslinking can be evaluated for the preparation of composite scaffolds which have superior properties for bone tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Işıl Gerçek
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Beşkardeş
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tuğrul Tolga
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Müge Dağlı
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Durukan
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.|Department of Bioengineering, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Menemşe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gümüşderelioğlu
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000473:pathology; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006037:Glyoxal / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008872:Microwaves; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D020100:Hydrogels; D006037:Glyoxal; D048271:Chitosan; D017886:Durapatite; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase