title: Synergistic effect of surface modification and scaffold design of bioplotted 3-D poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds in osteogenic tissue engineering.
abstract: The hydrophobic nature and the regular scaffold architecture of bioplotted poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds present some hurdles for homogeneous tissue formation and differentiation. The current hypothesis is that a synergistic effect of applied surface modification and scaffold design enhances colonization and osteogenic differentiation. First, PCL scaffolds with a 0/90° lay-down pattern (0/90) were plotted and subjected to an oxygen plasma (O2) or multistep surface modification, including post-argon 2-amino-ethylmethacrylate grafting (AEMA), followed by immobilization of gelatin type B (gelB) and physisorption of fibronectin (gelB Fn). Secondly, scaffolds of different designs were plotted (0/90° shift (0/90 S), 0/45° and 0/90° with narrow pores (0/90 NP)) and subjected to the double protein coating. Preosteoblasts were cultured on the scaffolds and the seeding efficiency, colonization and differentiation were studied. The data revealed that a biomimetic surface modification improved colonization (gelB Fn>gelB>AEMA>O2). Compact scaffold architectures (0/90 NP, 0/45, 0/90 S>0/90) positively influenced the seeding efficiency and differentiation. Interestingly, the applied surface modification had a greater impact on colonization than the scaffold design. In conclusion, the combination of a double protein coating with a compact design enhances tissue formation in the plotted PCL scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185 6B3, Ghent 9000, Belgium. heidi.declercq@ugent.be
authors.forename: Heidi A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Declercq
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Desmet
authors.forename: Elke E M
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Berneel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dubruel
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cornelissen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041702:BALB 3T3 Cells; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D005353:Fibronectins; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone