Scaffolds for epithelial tissue engineering customized in elastomeric molds

Abstract

Restoration of soft tissue defects remains a challenge for surgical reconstruction. In this study, we introduce a new approach to fabricate poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) scaffolds with anatomical shapes customized to regenerate three-dimensional soft tissue defects. Highly concentrated polymer/salt mixtures were molded in flexible polyether molds. Microcomputed tomography showed that with this approach it was possible to produce scaffolds with clinically acceptable volume ratio maintenance (>90%). Moreover, this technique allowed us to customize the average pore size and pore interconnectivity of the scaffolds by using variations of salt particle size. In addition, this study demonstrated that with the increasing porosity and/or the decreasing of the average pore size of the PDLLA scaffolds, their mechanical properties decrease and they degrade more slowly. Cell culture results showed that PDLLA scaffolds with an average pore size of 100 µm enhance the viability and proliferation rates of human gingival epithelial cells up to 21 days. The simple method proposed in this article can be extended to fabricate porous scaffolds with customizable anatomical shapes and optimal pore structure for epithelial tissue engineering. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 880-890, 2018.

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

“…In the work of Peyton et al, the pore size from 7 to 17 µm was studied, which is preferred by MSCs, and it turned out that the highest probability for substantive cell movement through the pores was observed for the mean pore diameter of about 12 µm [ 30 ]. As for the soft tissues, for example, the gingival epithelial tissue optimally regenerated with a matrix pore size of about 100 m [ 31 ], and the MSCs under conditions of adipogenic differentiation grew well and proliferated on the scaffolds with pore sizes ranging from 200 to 580 m [ 32 ].…”

Elastic materials for tissue engineering applications: Natural, synthetic, and hybrid polymers

“…Herein, only the synthetic elastomers that have already been investigated for tissue engineering purposes are discussed. This review does not include polymers that are not classified as elastomers, such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) [97][98][99] or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) [100,101].…”

Soft Polymer-Based Technique for Cellular Force Sensing

“…In addition to cytotoxicity, as reviewed by Mondschein et al [ 3 ], the consideration of factors, e.g., hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation properties, as well as the mechanical properties of soft polymer-based material, are needed for their adoption in biological studies. Various fabrication approaches for soft polymeric materials have been developed regarding biological applications, including moulding [ 4 , 5 ], casting [ 6 ], particulate leaching [ 7 ], electrospinning [ 8 ], gas foaming [ 9 ], and 3D printing [ 10 , 11 ]. Each of these fabrication processes has unique advantages and limitations in various aspects key to applying soft polymer-based materials in cellular force sensing, such as architecture, dimension, porosity, permeability and diffusion capabilities.…”