Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) 3D-Scaffold–Conduit for Guided Tissue Sprouting

Abstract

Scaffold biocompatibility remains an urgent problem in tissue engineering. An especially interesting problem is guided cell intergrowth and tissue sprouting using a porous scaffold with a special design. Two types of structures were obtained from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using a salt leaching technique. In flat scaffolds (scaffold-1), one side was more porous (pore size 100–300 μm), while the other side was smoother (pore size 10–50 μm). Such scaffolds are suitable for the in vitro cultivation of rat mesenchymal stem cells and 3T3 fibroblasts, and, upon subcutaneous implantation to older rats, they cause moderate inflammation and the formation of a fibrous capsule. Scaffold-2s are homogeneous volumetric hard sponges (pore size 30–300 μm) with more structured pores. They were suitable for the in vitro culturing of 3T3 fibroblasts. Scaffold-2s were used to manufacture a conduit from the PHB/PHBV tube with scaffold-2 as a filler. The subcutaneous implantation of such conduits to older rats resulted in gradual soft connective tissue sprouting through the filler material of the scaffold-2 without any visible inflammatory processes. Thus, scaffold-2 can be used as a guide for connective tissue sprouting. The obtained data are advanced studies for reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering application for the elderly patients.

Evaluation of Chemical and Biological Properties of Biodegradable Composites Based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Chitosan

“…The table above shows that the porosity of the acetic acid prepared scaffolds was consistent across all compositions, with a range of 96–97%. This is higher than the porosity of PHB scaffolds prepared via the leaching method (chloroform as a solvent), which was 87 ± 1.5% [ 64 ]. Additionally, the density of the scaffolds was not affected by the ratio of components.…”