Oct 2026· Carbohydrate Polymers· Vol 389, pp.
125618
· 0 citations· 55 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Improved scaffold architecture and introduced hydroxyl groups enabled outstanding cell viability and proliferation, as evidenced by abundant live cells, uniform distribution, and minimal cell death.
Abstract
Tissue engineering scaffolds (TESs) play a crucial role in regenerative medicine by providing structural support for cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and tissue formation. However, developing TESs that simultaneously meet the requirements of biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, structural controllability, and cost-effective manufacturing remains a significant challenge. In this study, fully bio-based TESs were fabricated using polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) via a green and scalable microcellular injection molding process. The incorporation of CNFs derived from renewable biomass, significantly enhanced the rheological property, crystallinity, and foaming behavior of PLA. Compared with the PLA foams fabricated by regular foam injection molding (RFIM), the pore size of the PLA/CNF foam fabricated by mold-opening foam injection molding (MOFIM) was decreased by 96.5%, with the pore density increased by 7 orders of magnitude. The tensile toughness and impact strength were improved by up to 276.5% and 40.0%, reaching 6.4 MJ/m3 and 2.1 kJ/m2, respectively. Thanks to the improved scaffold architecture and introduced hydroxyl groups, the PLA/CNF foam enabled outstanding cell viability and proliferation, as evidenced by abundant live cells, uniform distribution, and minimal cell death. This work provides a sustainable and scalable strategy for developing high-performance TESs with tunable pore structures for biomedical applications.
This study provides a practical framework for creating intrafilamentary porosity into 3D-printed PCL scaffolds with improved surface-mediated biological performance.
Mikaela Kutrolli, Noah S Pereira, Delaram Ghanbariamin et al.· ACS Biomaterials Science & E...· 0 citations
Results highlight the critical interplay between macromolecular composition, 3D microenvironment, and cell response, demonstrating that GelMA+TA systems represent a promising preliminary platform for the development of tunable bioactive scaffolds for wound-related applications.
Leonor Resina, M. M. Pérez‐Madrigal, Carlos Alemán· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
Various factors, such as materials, fabrication techniques, parameters, and sterilization, play important roles in the scaffold’s success by directly affecting its performance. Optimizing these factors can result in the fabrication of scaffolds with desirable properties. Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) is a biodegradable synthetic polymer commonly used in biomedical applications. Carboxymethyl Starch (CMS) is a natural polymer derived from starch. The purpose of this research is to systematically optimize the electrospinning processing window and determine the post-sterilization structural resilience of Poly (L-Lactic Acid) (PLLA)/Carboxymethyl Starch (CMS) composite matrices intended for biomedical applications. While PLLA offers excellent mechanical integrity, its hydrophobicity limits cell attachment; conversely, natural CMS is highly hydrophilic but suffers from poor processability on its own. This study fills a critical research gap by defining the interaction effects between polymer concentrations (5, 7, and 10 wt.%) and applied voltage (10 and 15 kV), and by expanding operational output parameters to include bead-density mapping and fiber-diameter distributions. To assess mechanical pre-clinical viability, matrices were exposed to gamma radiation doses (0, 15, 25, and 50 kGy). Structural optimization screening isolated Sample 1.2 (5 wt.% PLLA/ 5 wt.% CMS/ at 15 kV) as the optimal bead-free configuration and an average fiber diameter of 130.3 ± 40.2 nm. Tensile profiling proved that ultimate tensile strength (UTS) remained stable up to 25 kGy (1.693 ± 0.572 MPa) before undergoing severe degradation at 50 kGy (0.663 ± 0.341 MPa). These findings offer a systematically validated structural framework for advanced wound dressings.
Muhammad Rasyad bin Mohamed Rafik, Mohd Reusmaazran bin Yusof, Nor Kamalia Binti Zahari· ASEAN Journal of Chemical En...· 0 citations
A strong negative relationship between pH and mass loss indicates that pH is a major mechanistic marker of deterioration, and highlights the importance of scaffold design and nanoparticle incorporation in controlling scaffold biodegradation.
Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polyester widely used in biomedical scaffolds. However, its relatively low mechanical strength and limited cell adhesion properties remain major challenges for bone tissue engineering applications. This study developed a 3D-printed PCL mesh enhanced with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to improve mechanical strength and cytocompatibility. PCL was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization at 120 °C for 72 h using 0.015 mol % of Sn(OnBu)2 as the initiator, resulting in a high molecular weight polymer of 189 kg/mol. The addition of 5 wt % CaCO3 into the PCL matrix enhanced the flexural performance of the biocomposite mesh compared to pure PCL, with flexural strength increasing from 2.11 ± 0.46 to 4.17 ± 1.15 MPa and Young’s modulus increasing from 81 ± 14 to 130 ± 33 MPa, a value within the range reported for native trabecular bone. Cytocompatibility was evaluated using L929 fibroblasts and the MTT assay, following ISO 10993-5 guidelines, and demonstrated noncytotoxic behavior, with cell viability ranging from 80% to 110% over 28 days. Additionally, MG-63 osteoblast-like cells showed increased proliferation on the PCL-CaCO3 mesh. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the 3D-printed PCL-CaCO3 mesh as a mechanically reinforced, cytocompatible scaffold candidate for bone tissue engineering applications, warranting further evaluation of osteogenic potential and in vivo performance.
Biomedical devices for bone tissue repair require materials with a balanced combination of printability, structural integrity, and biological performance. Their fabrication is increasingly shifting toward additive manufacturing, in which thermoplastic biodegradable polymers, particularly poly(lactic acid) (PLA), serve as matrices. In this study, PLA composite filaments with varying hydroxyapatite (HAp) contents (0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 wt%) were fabricated via a solvent-assisted non-solvent-induced precipitation method and evaluated for extrusion-based bone tissue engineering applications. HAp content significantly influenced the physicochemical, rheological, mechanical, and biological performance of the composites: increasing HAp loading reduced filler dispersion homogeneity and, at 30 wt%, pronounced agglomeration and microvoid formation. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the incorporation of HAp did not significantly affect the glass transition temperature of PLA, which remained nearly constant regardless of HAp content. However, the presence of HAp shifted the cold crystallization temperature to higher values, suggesting delayed cold crystallization during heating. Intermediate HAp incorporation (5-10 wt%) provided the most favourable balance between homogeneous filler dispersion, mechanical reinforcement, and osteoblastic response, with PLA-HAp10 showing enhanced ALP activity and osteogenic gene expression together with reliable filament formation and scaffold printability. In contrast, 20 wt% HAp approached the upper composition-processing threshold of the system, while 30 wt% HAp compromised structural homogeneity and extrusion reliability. These findings highlight the importance of controlling HAp loading to achieve a balanced combination of processability, structural integrity, and osteogenic performance in PLA-based biomaterials.
Lukošiūnas Jokūbas, Šaparajavaitė Gabrielė, Dambrauskas Tadas et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
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