Production of 3D scaffolds applied to tissue engineering using chitosan swelling as a porogenic agent

Abstract

The preparation of 3D scaffolds using poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and chitosan (CTS) has been proposed because of the favorable interactions of these materials with mammalian cells in particular osteoblasts (HOB). In this work, a new method of producing porous 3D scaffolds based on the swelling of a dense matrix of PHB and CTS was developed. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the formation of an interconnected porous CTS structure inside a PHB structure. The pore formation was attributed to the swelling of CTS. The scaffolds presented 70% porosity, heterogeneous pore‐size distribution, and a compressive modulus equal to (13.07 ± 0.014) MPa, which is close to that of cancellous bone. In vitro cytotoxicity assays indicate that the scaffold was not cytotoxic. Its morphology, chemical, and physical properties indicate that the scaffold produced by this new methodology has potential applications in bone‐tissue engineering, with drug‐delivery capabilities. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013

Swelling degree prediction of polyhydroxybutyrate/chitosan matrices loaded with “Arnica‐do‐Brasil”

“…produced PHB/Chi microspheres and despite the difference in their methodology applied in the preparation of the microsphere, when compared to the one applied to produce the matrices of this work, the XRD results obtained by them were similar to those presented in the current work in the following aspects: the greater the proportion of PHB, the more noticeable are the crystalline peaks attributed to it; Chi affects the crystallization of PHB . Mendonça et al . produced a PHB and Chi matrix (containing 25 wt % of Chi).…”

“…Biodegradable polymers, such as microbial polyesters, have been investigated as raw materials to manufacture scaffolds applied to tissue regeneration and devices to drug delivery . Among them, the bioresorbable and biocompatible polyester polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the polysaccharide chitosan (Chi) have been extensively studied …”

“…The combination of PHB and Chi can be a good alternative to improve the properties of PHB. It is found in the literature that the mechanical properties and potential to be used in tissue regeneration of PHB materials are improved by the incorporation of Chi . In addition, as Chi degradation occurs faster than that of PHB, scaffolds composed of PHB/Chi have a great potential to perform also as drug delivery systems (DDS) …”

“… to produce matrices composed of PHB and Chi as precursors of scaffolds; to evaluate and predict the mass variation of PHB/Chi matrices swollen in different fluids: water and arnica extract; according to the literature, the swelling degree of PHB/Chi matrices is one of the steps for the production of three‐dimensional scaffolds. In addition, swelling is an alternative for incorporating drugs into the matrix; in the recent literature, several models, such as Higuchi and Kosmeya, describe the diffusion of fluids in polymer matrices .…”

Bioprinting of osteochondral tissues: A perspective on current gaps and future trends

“…Several miRNAs, 115 miR-26a, -148b, -27a, and -489, have shown to regulate osteogenesis in MSCs [78][79][80] . Of these compounds, miR148b has been shown to induce de novo osteogenesis in bone marrow-derived MSC and ASC and has been demonstrated to enhance progenitor osteogenesis and bone repair both in vitro and in vivo [79,[81][82][83] . Several miRNAs such as miR-146a, miR-9, miR-29a and miR-140 play a role in the regulation of chondrogenesis [84][85][86][87][88][89] .…”