Covalent RGD modification of the inner pore surface of polycaprolactone scaffolds

Scaffold production for tissue engineering was demonstrated by means of a hot compression molding technique and subsequent particulate leaching. The utilization of spherical salt particles as the pore-forming agent ensured complete interconnectivity of the porous structure. This method obviated the use of potentially toxic organic solvents. To overcome the inherent non-cell-adhesive properties of the hydrophobic polymer polycaprolactone (PCL) surface activation with a diamine was performed, followed by the covalent immobilization of the adhesion-promoting RGD-peptide. The wet-chemical approach was performed to guarantee modification throughout the entire scaffold structure. The treatment wa…