Electrospinning of poly(lactic acid)/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanocomposites and their potential in chondrogenic tissue regeneration

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the cytocompatibility and hydrolytic degradability of the new poly(lactic acid)/polyethylene glycol-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (peg-POSS/PLLA) nanocomposite as potential material for cartilage regeneration. PLLA scaffolds containing 0 to 5% of peg-POSS were fabricated by electrospinning. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC's) were cultured in vitro to evaluate the cytocompatibility of the new nanocomposite material. Hydrolytic degradation studies were also carried out to analyze the mass loss rate of the nanocomposites through time. The addition of the peg-POSS to the PLLA did not affect the processability of the nanocomposite by electrospinning. It was also observed that peg-POSS did not show any relevant change in fibers morphology, concluding that it was well dispersed. However, addition of peg-POSS caused noticeable decrease in mean fiber diameter, which made the specific surface area of the scaffold to rise. hMSC's were able to attach, to proliferate, and to differentiate into chondrocytes in a similar way onto the different types of electrospun peg-POSS/PLLA and pure PLLA scaffolds, showing that the peg-POSS as nano-additive does not exhibit any cytotoxicity. The hydrolytic degradation rate of the material was lower when peg-POSS was added, showing a higher durability of the nanocomposites through time. Results demonstrate that the addition of peg-POSS to the PLLA scaffolds does not affect its cytocompatibility to obtain hyaline cartilage from hMSC's.

Chondrogenic Regeneration Using Bone Marrow Clots and a Porous Polycaprolactone-Hydroxyapatite Scaffold by Three-Dimensional Printing

“…1,2 In recent years, much attention has been focused on achieving cartilage regeneration by combining microfracture and scaffold materials (e.g., fibrin, hydrogel, and gelatin). 37,38 In our previous studies, [23][24][25] BMSC-dECM scaffolds had excellent effects on stem cell proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation in natural, biodegradable materials, especially when combined with MC.…”

“…1 There are several cartilage repair techniques, including microfracture, joint irrigation or debridement, osteochondral grafting, and autologous chondrocyte implantation. 2,3 As it is a simple, convenient, and relatively inexpensive choice, microfracture has become the preferred clinical treatment. 4 Previous evidence proved that bone marrow clots (MC) on the surface of the microfracture lesions provide an optimal environment for cartilaginous tissue repair.…”

Management of knee osteoarthritis. Current status and future trends

“…PLLA has a generally slow rate of degradability, thus PLLA scaffold alone, seem to limit cell proliferation and tissue growth (Freed et al, ). Thus, PLLA is a favored polymer for nanocomposite fabrication (Gomez‐Sanchez et al, ; Holmes et al, ).…”

3D imaging of cell interactions with electrospun PLGA nanofiber membranes for bone regeneration

“…Such control of electrospun fiber network architecture allows engineering of cell migration through the scaffolds [13]. Prevalent examples of polymers electrospun into effective tissue scaffolds include polydioxanone [14], poly(e-caprolactone) [15], polyglycolic acid (PGA) [16], polylactic acid (PLA) [17], poly(L-lactide) [18] and their copolymers poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) [19][20][21][22][23] that are often exploited as high surface area fibrous membranes [24,25]. Electrospinning is particularly notable as the predominant method used to produce synthetic fibers in the nanometer range to mimic the collagen matrix and is therefore most promising in bone regeneration and cartilage regeneration [17,26].…”