Overall, GelMA scaffolds promoted greater cell viability and mineralized matrix formation, while PCL and PDO provided superior mechanical properties, highlighting the importance of balancing biological and mechanical requirements when designing scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration.
Abstract
Material selection is crucial to hard tissue regeneration, and matching scaffold properties to those of the target tissue can improve clinical outcomes. This study compared the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological performance of fibrous scaffolds fabricated from polycaprolactone (PCL), polydioxanone (PDO), and gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) for hard tissue regeneration. Polymeric fibers were produced by electrospinning, and their morphological, physical, and mechanical properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM, n = 2), swelling and degradation analyses (n = 8), water contact angle measurements (n = 16), and tensile testing (n = 8). In addition, periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), alveolar bone marrow stem cells (aBMSCs), and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were seeded onto the scaffolds to evaluate cell spreading (n = 4), viability (n = 8), and mineralized matrix formation (n = 6). Data were analyzed using one- or two-way ANOVA followed by appropriate post hoc tests (α = 5%). All polymers formed homogeneous fibrous scaffolds, with diameters within the nanoscale range. PDO and GelMA showed higher swelling than PCL, while PCL retained approximately 95% of its initial mass after three months. PCL and PDO showed higher elongation at break, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus than GelMA. Both PDO and GelMA displayed contact angles below 90°, with GelMA showing the lowest values. In vitro, all polymers were cytocompatible: PDO and GelMA enhanced DPSC viability at 7 days, whereas GelMA produced the highest viability for PDLSCs and aBMSCs at that time point. GelMA also promoted the highest mineralized matrix formation for DPSCs and PDLSCs, with no significant differences among polymers for aBMSCs. Overall, GelMA scaffolds promoted greater cell viability and mineralized matrix formation, while PCL and PDO provided superior mechanical properties, highlighting the importance of balancing biological and mechanical requirements when designing scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration.
Overall, HAp/PLGA/CS scaffolds showed potential as experimental bioactive platforms for bone tissue engineering, with 3D-printed scaffolds providing greater architectural control and favorable early osteogenic responses, although the translational relevance of these findings remains preliminary.
Jhon M. Pérez-Bohórquez, María C. Acero-Garzón, S. J. Gutiérrez-Prieto et al.· Biomimetics· 0 citations
These findings underscore the dual function of rGO in simultaneously improving the mechanical integrity and osteogenic capacity of CMC-based scaffolds, with 0.5%-1% rGO identified as the optimal concentration window for bone tissue engineering applications.
Ronghui Zhou, Yanjun Lin, Xiaojing Zhu et al.· Journal of Biomedical Materi...· 0 citations
Tissue engineering (TE) combines cells, biomaterials, and external regulatory cues to support tissue repair and regeneration. Graphene-based scaffolds are promising TE platforms because they combine electrical conductivity, mechanical reinforcement, and cytocompatible surface properties. When paired with electrical stimulation (ES), these scaffolds may provide an electroactive microenvironment that influences stem cell behavior. However, suitable ES conditions for dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) cultured on graphene-based scaffolds remain insufficiently defined. This study examined how different electric field (EF) intensities affect DPSC viability and cytotoxicity on graphene oxide/sodium alginate (GOSA) and reduced graphene oxide/sodium alginate (rGOSA) scaffolds. Three-dimensional scaffolds were prepared by freeze-drying, coated with poly-l-lysine (PLL), seeded with DPSCs, and stimulated using a custom Ti mesh electrode bioreactor. EF intensities from 0 to 500 mV mm–1 were applied for 1 h/day over three consecutive days. Cell responses were evaluated using Trypan Blue, Alamar Blue (AB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Moderate EF intensities, particularly 50–100 mV mm–1, improved cell viability and reduced cytotoxicity, with the strongest response observed in rGOSA scaffolds. In contrast, higher EF intensities of 250–500 mV mm–1 reduced viability and increased cytotoxicity. These findings indicate that scaffold conductivity and ES intensity are key determinants of DPSC response and support the use of rGOSA scaffolds with moderate ES for TE applications.
Mohammad Alsenaide, Dusan Losic, Said F. Al-Sarawi et al.· ACS Omega· 0 citations
The results showed that the composite scaffolds effectively improved the inflammatory microenvironment in the defect region, promoted macrophage polarization toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype, enhanced cellular osteogenic activity and mineralization, and facilitated new bone formation and tissue reconstruction.
Fang Tong, Ting-Ting Lu, Lu Tang et al.· Journal of materials chemist...· 0 citations
Oral diseases impact approximately 3.5 billion individuals globally, often leading to the loss or damage of periodontal, alveolar bone, dentin-pulp, or oral soft tissues. Consequently, dental tissue engineering necessitates scaffolds that can simultaneously offer a three-dimensional extracellular matrix-like microenvironment conducive to cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. These scaffolds must also maintain spatial and mechanical integrity during the healing process and degrade at a rate that aligns with new tissue formation. Conventional biomaterials frequently fail to meet all these criteria. Natural polymers, such as collagen, provide cell-recognition cues and support cellular responses but may lose mechanical integrity before regeneration is complete. In contrast, many synthetic polymer barriers maintain structural stability and offer adjustable degradation rates but exhibit limited intrinsic bioactivity. Electrospinning offers a method to integrate these complementary characteristics into fibrous scaffolds with high surface areas that replicate essential structural aspects of the native extracellular matrix. This structure provides cells with a greater surface area for adhesion, migration, and remodeling than cast films or solid scaffolds. This review brings together the electrospinning literature related to dental applications. It begins with the basics of the process, including Taylor cone formation, jet whipping, and the solution, instrument, and environmental factors that influence fiber diameter and morphology, as well as variations such as coaxial, emulsion, melt electrowriting, and needleless electrospinning. It then explores the natural, synthetic, and composite polymer systems used to produce dental nanofibers and their applications in periodontal regeneration, alveolar bone repair, dentin-pulp regeneration, antibacterial and drug delivery functions, and oral wound healing. The obstacles, such as low production throughput, inconsistent sterilization and testing protocols, and the scarcity of large-animal and human trials, that still hinder the transition of laboratory-scale electrospun scaffolds to regular use in dental practice are discussed, and the research directions most likely to bridge this gap are highlighted.
Nisha Shetty, C. N., Sampath Suranjan Salins et al.· Journal of Composites Scienc...· 0 citations
The scaffold showed the highest osteoinduction, and the scaffold with 530 ± 56 μm average pore diameter demonstrated the highest expression of osteodifferentiation marker genes in DPSCs, and the addition of nanoparticles into the polymer matrix led to the decrease in the expression of pro-inflammatory genes in macrophages.
A. V. Yushkov, E. A. Kuvshinova, I. Bulygina et al.· Biomedical Materials· 0 citations
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