Biocompatibility of Developing 3D-Printed Tubular Scaffold Coated with Nanofibers for Bone Applications

Abstract EN

3D printing with controlled microarchitectures has gained traction in a wide variety of fields, including bone tissue engineering, because it represents an exciting alternative for the synthesis of new scaffolds due to its rapid manufacturing process, high precision, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use.

Thus, this study is aimed at evaluating the biocompatibility response of a 3D-printed tubular scaffold coated by a layer of 7% PLA nanofibers.

The morphology, structure, and chemical composition of the 3D-printed tubular scaffold were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and surface property analysis by profilometry.

The biocompatibility response of the scaffold was assessed by cell adhesion, proliferation, and cell-material interactions of human fetal osteoblasts.

Our results showed that 3D printing allowed obtaining similar and reproducible structures and the biocompatibility assays showed that nanofiber coating of the surface of the 3D tubular scaffold promoted an improvement on cell attachment, proliferation, and the morphology of osteoblast cells when compared with a noncoated scaffold.

In conclusion, the surface of the 3D-printed tubular scaffold could be improved by the deposition of a nanofiber layer to render a more mimetic and active topography with excellent cellular biocompatibility for bone tissue applications.