Biomaterials Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity St., El-Qobba Bridge, Al Waili, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Department of Chemistry, School of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo (AUC), AUC Avenue, P.O. Box 74, New Cairo, 11835, Egypt.
J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2021 Aug 28;32(9):111. doi: 10.1007/s10856-021-06588-6.
This work is focused on integrating nanotechnology with bone tissue engineering (BTE) to fabricate a bilayer scaffold with enhanced biological, physical and mechanical properties, using polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin (Gt) as the base nanofibrous layer, followed by the deposition of a bioactive glass (BG) nanofibrous layer via the electrospinning technique. Electrospun scaffolds were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Surface area and porosity were evaluated using the nitrogen adsorption method and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Moreover, scaffold swelling rate, degradation rate and in vitro bioactivity were examined in simulated body fluid (SBF) for up to 14 days. Mechanical properties of the prepared scaffolds were evaluated. Cell cytotoxicity was assessed using MRC-5 cells. Analyses showed successful formation of bead-free uniform fibers and the incorporation of BG nanoparticles within fibers. The bilayer scaffold showed enhanced surface area and total pore volume in comparison to the composite single layer scaffold. Moreover, a hydroxyapatite-like layer with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.4 was formed after 14 days of immersion in SBF. Furthermore, its swelling and degradation rates were significantly higher than those of pure PCL scaffold. The bilayer's tensile strength was four times higher than that of PCL/Gt scaffold with greatly enhanced elongation. Cytotoxicity test revealed the bilayer's biocompatibility. Overall analyses showed that the incorporation of BG within a bilayer scaffold enhances the scaffold's properties in comparison to those of a composite single layer scaffold, and offers potential avenues for development in the field of BTE.
这项工作专注于将纳米技术与骨组织工程（BTE）相结合，通过静电纺丝技术在聚己内酯（PCL）和明胶（Gt）作为基础纳米纤维层的基础上，制造具有增强的生物、物理和机械性能的双层支架，随后沉积一层生物活性玻璃（BG）纳米纤维层。通过扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）和傅里叶变换红外光谱对静电纺丝支架进行了表征。使用氮气吸附法和压汞法评估了比表面积和孔隙率。此外，还在模拟体液（SBF）中对支架的溶胀率、降解率和体外生物活性进行了长达 14 天的检测。评估了制备支架的机械性能。使用 MRC-5 细胞评估细胞细胞毒性。分析表明成功形成了无珠均匀纤维，并将 BG 纳米颗粒掺入纤维内。与复合单层支架相比，双层支架的比表面积和总孔体积得到了增强。此外，在 SBF 浸泡 14 天后形成了具有 Ca/P 摩尔比为 1.4 的类羟基磷灰石层。此外，其溶胀率和降解率明显高于纯 PCL 支架。双层的拉伸强度是 PCL/Gt 支架的四倍，伸长率大大提高。细胞毒性试验表明双层具有生物相容性。总体分析表明，与复合单层支架相比，将 BG 掺入双层支架可增强支架的性能，并为 BTE 领域的发展提供了潜在途径。
