Abstract
Currently, the challenge for bone tissue engineering is to design a scaffold that would mimic the structure and biological functions of the extracellular matrix and would be able to direct the appropriate response of cells through electrochemical signals, thus stimulate faster bone formation. The purpose of the presented research was to perform and evaluate PCL/n-HAp scaffolds locally modified with a conductive polymer-polyaniline. The material was obtained using electrospinning, and a simple ink-jet printing method was applied to receive the conductive polyaniline patterns on the surface of the electrospun materials. The samples of scaffolds were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) before and after immersion of the material in Simulated Body Fluid. The effect of PANI patterns on changes in the SBF mineralization process and cell morphology was evaluated in order to prove that the presented material enables the growth and proliferation of bone cells.
Highlights
A variety of fabrication technologies have been implemented to produce an ideal biomaterial to treat bone fractures [1,2]
We evaluated the effect of the PANI patterns presence on scaffold properties as well as the mineralization process in Simulated Body Fluid
Our studies demonstrated that the combination of two methods for the preparation of scaffolds, i.e., electrospinning and inkjet printing, has enabled the production of nanofibrous, biomimetic scaffold with conductive paths on the surface
Summary
A variety of fabrication technologies have been implemented to produce an ideal biomaterial to treat bone fractures [1,2]. Fiber-based structures, such as electrospun scaffolds, are frequently used in bone regeneration as they mimic the architecture and biological functions of the extracellular matrix [3,4]. The limited control of the pore size and pore structure are meaningful disadvantages of the electrospinning technique [6]. The pore size of electrospun scaffolds is dependent on the fiber diameter. Fibers with a smaller diameter lead to smaller average pore sizes, driving to decreased cellular infiltration. This occurrence limits the potential benefits of nanofibers for bone tissue engineering applications [6]. To achieve control over electrospun fiber deposition, electrospinning in a direct writing (DW) mode was developed
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