In vitro bioactivity study of composite scaffold prepared via thermally induced phase separation

Among porous materials suitable for Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE) scaffolds, bioactive ceramics (hydroxyapatite, HA) and bioactive glasses (BG) have been used for their excellent biocompatibility, bioactivity and efficient osteointegration (1). However, their major limitations are brittleness, low mechanical stability and low dissolution rate (2). Recent evidences suggest that composite scaffold based on biodegradable polymers (e.g. Poly-lacticacid (PLLA)) simultaneously loaded with HA and BG hold promising potential as efficient osteoconductive implants (3, 4). In this work we investigated the possibility to produce composite PLLA-HA-BG scaffolds via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIP…

BIOGLASS® integration in Poly-L-Lactic-Acid scaffolds produced via Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS).

In this work, a method of integration of BG particles in polymeric scaffold was developed with a trial and error procedure. The main purpose was to obtain highly porous and mechanically stable bioactive devices.

Biological characterization of Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA)/Hydroxyapatite (HA)/Bioglass (BG) composite scaffolds made by Thermally Induced Phase Separation (TIPS) hosting human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

In the last few years, Tissue Engineering has focused on the favourable effects that composite scaffolds have on cell adhesion, growth and differentiation. In fact, composite scaffolds, usually composed of a synthetic polymer supplemented with naturally occurring components, display superior mechanical properties and bioconductivity than scaffolds consisting of a single component. Hydroxyapatite (HA) is the major inorganic component of bones. Bioglass (BG) is known to exert stimulatory effects on cells by ion release and hence, could be also advantageous for Bone Tissue Engineering. Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a versatile synthetic polymer combinable with HA and BG. The aim of this work wa…

BIOGLASS® pre-treatment improves its integration in polymeric scaffolds