Fabrication and in vivo chondrification of a poly(propylene carbonate)/l-lactide-grafted tetracalcium phosphate electrospun scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering

Abstract

Regenerative therapies that utilize stem cell differentiation in three-dimensional porous scaffolds have attracted significant interest in recent years. In this study, fibrous poly(propylene carbonate)/poly(L-lactic acid)-grafted tetracalcium phosphate (PPC/g-TTCP) scaffolds were prepared using an electrospinning method. The characteristics of the fabricated scaffolds were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analyses, water contact angle measurements and tensile tests. Due to the importance of biocompatibility, rat bone marrow-derived stem cells were cultured on the scaffolds, and the cell proliferation was investigated using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assays. Subsequently, chondrogenic differentiation was induced in these cells in vitro and in vivo. Fourteen days later, chondrocyte-like cells had developed on the PPC/g-TTCP scaffolds, as evidenced by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycan and type II collagen. After subcutaneous transplantation into nude mice, a typical cartilage cell morphology was observed on the scaffolds. These findings suggest that PPC/g-TTCP scaffolds can support cartilage development and are excellent candidate scaffolds for cartilage defect repair.