Surface micromorphology of cross-linked tetrafunctional polylactide scaffolds inducing vessel growth and bone formation

Abstract

In the presented study, we have developed a synthetic strategy allowing a gradual variation of a polylactide arms’ length, which later influences the micromorphology of the scaffold surface, formed by a two-photon polymerization technique. It has been demonstrated that the highest number of cells is present on the scaffolds with the roughest surface made of the polylactide with longer arms (PLA760), and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells is most pronounced on such scaffolds. According to the results of biological testing, the PLA760 scaffolds were implanted into a created cranial defect in a mouse for an in vivo assessment of the bone tissue formation. The in vivo experiments have shown that, by week 10, deposition of calcium phosphate particles occurs in the scaffold at the defect site, as well as, the formation of a new bone and ingrowth of blood vessels from the surrounding tissues. These results demonstrate that the cross-linked microstructured tetrafunctional polylactide scaffolds are promising microstructures for bone regeneration in tissue engineering.