Manufacture of β-TCP/alginate scaffolds through a Fab@home model for application in bone tissue engineering

Abstract

The growing need to treat bone-related diseases in an elderly population compels the development of novel bone substitutes to improve patient quality of life. In this context, the advent of affordable and effective rapid prototyping equipment, such as the Fab@home plotter, has contributed to the development of novel scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. In this study, we report for the first time the use of a Fab@home plotter for the production of 3D scaffolds composed by beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/alginate hybrid materials. β-TCP/alginate mixtures were used in a proportion of 50/50% (w/w), 30/70% (w/w) and 20/80% (w/w). The printing parameters were optimized to a nozzle diameter of 20 Gauge for the production of rigid scaffolds with pre-defined architectures. We observed that, despite using similar printing parameters, both the precision and resolution of the scaffolds were significantly affected by the blend's viscosity. In particular, we demonstrate that the higher viscosity of 50/50 scaffolds (150.0 ± 3.91 mPa s) provides a higher precision in the extrusion process. The physicochemical and biological characterization of the samples demonstrated that the 50/50 scaffolds possessed a resistance to compression comparable to that of native trabecular bone. Moreover, this particular formulation also exhibited a Young's modulus that was higher than that of trabecular bone. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy analysis revealed that osteoblasts were able to adhere, proliferate and also penetrate into the scaffold's architecture. Altogether, our findings suggest that the Fab@home printer can be employed in the manufacture of reproducible scaffolds, using a formulation 50/50 alginate-β-TCP that has suitable properties to be applied as bone substitutes in the future.

Osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells in freeze-gelled chitosan/nano β-tricalcium phosphate porous scaffolds crosslinked with genipin

“…The z-stacked 3D images show cell penetration in a 50 μm section of the scaffold (images c and d in Figure 6). Similar patterns of cell penetration and cell distribution were observed previously by fibroblasts seeded in alginate/β-TCP composite scaffolds [36]. …”

Marine Collagen/Apatite Composite Scaffolds Envisaging Hard Tissue Applications

“…Absorbance intensity, which is directly proportional to metabolic activity, was measured at 492 nm using a microplate reader (SYNERGY HT, BIO-TEK, Winooski, VT, USA). The results are the mean of three independent experiments ( n = 3) with 3 replicates for each condition and per experiment [42]. …”

Application of 3D printing technology in bone tissue engineering

“…Good biocompatibility requires that the scaffold material has good surface physicochemical properties to ensure normal adhesion and growth of the cells; the scaffold does not cause inflammatory reaction, any immunogenicity and cytotoxicity, and the degradation rate should be related to tissue growth. The speed is consistent, achieving a smooth transition from the stent to the ontogenesis [9,10]. In addition, during the degradation of the scaffold, the tissue cells are provided with a constantly changing interface for adhesion and growth, which contributes to the firm adhesion of the cells to the material.…”