title: Relevance of PEG in PLA-based blends for tissue engineering 3D-printed scaffolds.
abstract: Achieving high quality 3D-printed structures requires establishing the right printing conditions. Finding processing conditions that satisfy both the fabrication process and the final required scaffold properties is crucial. This work stresses the importance of studying the outcome of the plasticizing effect of PEG on PLA-based blends used for the fabrication of 3D-direct-printed scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. For this, PLA/PEG blends with 5, 10 and 20% (w/w) of PEG and PLA/PEG/bioactive CaP glass composites were processed in the form of 3D rapid prototyping scaffolds. Surface analysis and differential scanning calorimetry revealed a rearrangement of polymer chains and a topography, wettability and elastic modulus increase of the studied surfaces as PEG was incorporated. Moreover, addition of 10 and 20% PEG led to non-uniform 3D structures with lower mechanical properties. In vitro degradation studies showed that the inclusion of PEG significantly accelerated the degradation rate of the material. Results indicated that the presence of PEG not only improves PLA processing but also leads to relevant surface, geometrical and structural changes including modulation of the degradation rate of PLA-based 3D printed scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ortiz-Hernandez
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain; Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain; Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Planell
authors.affiliation: Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: melba.navarro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Melba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D007368:Interferometry; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011091:Polyesters; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D013696:Temperature; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: 3D-printing; Polylactic acid; Rapid prototyping; Scaffold; Surface characterization