Abstract
In this work, we prepared fluorescently labeled poly(ε-caprolactone-ran-lactic acid) (PCLA-F) as a biomaterial to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds via salt leaching and 3D printing. The salt-leached PCLA-F scaffold was fabricated using NaCl and methylene chloride, and it had an irregular, interconnected 3D structure. The printed PCLA-F scaffold was fabricated using a fused deposition modeling printer, and it had a layered, orthogonally oriented 3D structure. The printed scaffold fabrication method was clearly more efficient than the salt leaching method in terms of productivity and repeatability. In the in vivo fluorescence imaging of mice and gel permeation chromatography of scaffolds removed from rats, the salt-leached PCLA scaffolds showed slightly faster degradation than the printed PCLA scaffolds. In the inflammation reaction, the printed PCLA scaffolds induced a slightly stronger inflammation reaction due to the slower biodegradation. Collectively, we can conclude that in vivo biodegradability and inflammation of scaffolds were affected by the scaffold fabrication method.
Highlights
Regenerative medicine has recently attracted significant interest for the repair of damaged human tissues and organs [1]
The degradation of PCLA can occur by hydrolytic scission of ester bond linkages over a period ranging from days to a few weeks
PCLA was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of CL and LA using MPEG
Summary
Regenerative medicine has recently attracted significant interest for the repair of damaged human tissues and organs [1]. An appropriate combination of a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold, cells, such as stem cells, and biologically active molecules is needed to regenerate damaged human tissues and organs [2]. It is important to fabricate 3D scaffolds that perfectly restore a damaged organ or tissue. Salt leaching is among the most common methods used to fabricate 3D scaffolds [3,4,5]. Biocompatible materials that are currently used to fabricate 3D scaffolds via the salt-leaching method include natural biomaterials, such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and gelatin, as well as synthetic materials, such as polyester and polyethylene glycol (PEG) [6,7,8]. Synthetic polyesters can be produced in large quantities with little or no batch-to-batch variation
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