title: Comparison of three-dimensional printing and vacuum freeze-dried techniques for fabricating composite scaffolds.
abstract: In this study, the performances of different preparation methods of the scaffolds were analyzed for chondrocyte tissue engineering. Silk fibroin/collagen (SF/C) was fabricated using a vacuum freeze-dried technique and by 3D printing. The porosity, water absorption expansion rates, mechanical properties, and pore sizes of the resulting materials were evaluated. The proliferation and metabolism of the cells was detected at different time points using an MTT assay. Cell morphologies and distributions were observed by histological analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The porosity, water absorption expansion rate, and Young's modulus of the material obtained via 3D printing were significantly higher than those obtained by the freeze-dried method, while the pore size did not differ significantly between the two methods. MTT assay results showed that the metabolism of cells seeded on the 3D printed scaffolds was more viable than the metabolism on the freeze-dried material. H&E staining of the scaffolds revealed that the number of cells in the 3D printed scaffold was higher in comparison to a similar measurement on the freeze-dried material. Consequently, stem cells grew well inside the 3D printed scaffolds, as measured by SEM, while the internal structure of the freeze-dried scaffold was disordered. Compared with the freeze-dried technique, the 3D printed scaffold exhibited better overall performance and was more suitable for cartilage tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin First Center Hospital, No. 24 Fukang Road, Tianjin, TJ 300192, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Equipment, Academy of Military and Medical Sciences, No. 106, Wandong Street, Hedong District, Tianjin 300000, China.
authors.forename: Ruixin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin First Center Hospital, No. 24 Fukang Road, Tianjin, TJ 300192, China. Electronic address: jiangortholivea@sina.cn.
authors.forename: Wenxue
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin First Center Hospital, No. 24 Fukang Road, Tianjin, TJ 300192, China.
authors.forename: Yufu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154 Anshan Road, Tianjin, TJ 300052, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005612:Freeze Drying / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D016062:Porosity; D066330:Printing, Three-Dimensional; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D014618:Vacuum
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D005349:Fibroins
keywords: 3D printing; Collagen; Freeze-dried; Silk fibroin; Tissue engineering