Preparation and evaluation of GelMA-(PCL-PEG-PCL) controlled cell delivery for bone regeneration

Abstract

Introduction: Bone tissue engineering is considered a novel approach to repair damaged bone tissue. Engineered bone typically uses an artificial extracellular matrix (scaffold), osteoblasts or cells that can become osteoblasts, and regulating factors that promote cell differentiation, attachment, and mineralized bone formation. Among them, highly porous scaffolds play a critical role in proliferation, cell seeding, , and new 3D-tissue formation. A variety of biodegradable polymeric materials and scaffold fabrication techniques for bone tissue engineering have been investigated in the past decade. Objective: The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize GelMA-PCEC scaffolds and to evaluate the cellular behavior of human dental pulp stem cells on these scaffolds.Methods: In this study, three-dimensionally printed and freeze-dried scaffolds were synthesized and characterized using NMR, FTIR, MTT, Alizarin Red S, and SEM methods. The physical, mechanical, swelling, and morphological properties of the scaffolds were evaluated. Subsequently, human dental pulp stem cells were cultured on the scaffolds, and biological assessments were performed.Results: The evaluations demonstrated that the three-dimensionally printed GelMA-PCEC scaffolds exhibited superior mechanical properties, swelling, and cell growth and adhesion compared to the freeze-dried scaffolds. A statistically significant difference was observed (P-value<0.05).Conclusion: In this study, GelMA-PCEC scaffolds with suitable mechanical and biological properties were produced using two techniques: three-dimensional printing and freeze-drying. The three-dimensionally printed scaffolds, due to their porous structure, have a higher potential for application in tissue engineering compared to scaffolds prepared by freeze-drying. The combination of methacrylated gelatin and polycaprolactone is a promising option for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. This combination possesses suitable mechanical and biological properties and can be utilized in biological scaffolds, bioprinting, and drug delivery systems.