title: Clinoptilolite/PCL-PEG-PCL composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.
abstract: The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize highly porous clinoptilolite/poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) composite scaffolds. Scaffolds with different clinoptilolite contents (10% and 20%) were fabricated with reproducible solvent-free powder compression/particulate leaching technique. The scaffolds had interconnective porosity in the range of 55-76%. Clinoptilolite/poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds showed negligible degradation within eight weeks and displayed less water uptake and higher bioactivity than poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds. The presence of clinoptilolite improved the mechanical properties. Highest compressive strength (5.6 MPa) and modulus (114.84 MPa) were reached with scaffold group containing 20% clinoptilolite. In vitro protein adsorption capacity of the scaffolds was also higher for clinoptilolite/poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds. These scaffolds had 0.95 mg protein/g scaffold adsorption capacity and also higher osteoinductivity in terms of enhanced ALP, OSP activities and intracellular calcium deposition. Stoichiometric apatite deposition (Ca/P=1.686) was observed during cellular proliferation analysis with human fetal osteoblasts cells. Thus, it can be suggested that clinoptilolite/poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) composite scaffolds could be promising carriers for enhancement of bone regeneration in bone tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Engineering Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pazarçeviren
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Çankaya University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özge
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Erdemli
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Engineering Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.|3 METU, BIOMATEN Center of Excellence in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dilek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keskin
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Engineering Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.|3 METU, BIOMATEN Center of Excellence in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayşen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tezcaner
mesh_terms: D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D019245:Compressive Strength; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D058608:Nanopores / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D011091:Polyesters; C515340:poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-b-poly(ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone); C083175:clinoptilolite; D017641:Zeolites; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: Clinoptilolite; PCL–PEG–PCL; bone tissue engineering; particulate leaching; powder compression; solvent-free