Mineralization of electrospun gelatin/CaCO3 composites: A new approach for dental applications

Abstract

Tissue engineered scaffolds are generally used as extra matrices for cellular attachment, migration and proliferation. Irrespective of the desired function, scaffolds should be porous, biocompatible architectures permitting vascularity and act as a hydrophilic mechanical support for the attached cells. Gelatin scaffolds provide exceptional attachment, migration, and proliferation in different tissue regeneration applications. Herein, we introduce a simple but novel method to fabricate new electrospun composite materials for a wide range tissue regeneration, especially bone regeneration. The composites are made of cost-effective gelatin mixed with different concentrations of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in a benign solvent. Smooth nanofibers were successfully obtained at low concentrations of CaCO3, while beaded broken fibers were obtained at high concentrations. To enhance the mechanical properties of the resulted nanofibers, glutaraldehyde (GTA) vapors were used as crosslinking agents. Different crosslinking time intervals were investigated to improve the stability, with the 20-h-crosslinked mats showed enhanced water resistance, better stability, and increased cell viability. The crosslinked mats showed distinguished mass increase during both swelling and biodegradability tests, especially with the decrease of CaCO3 concentration. The presence of calcium within the mats provides nucleation sites for the growth of Ca-P structures, leading to mineralization of the mats. In a nutshell, calcified gelatin mats are good candidates for a wide range of tissue regeneration applications.