Effect of Tricalcium Phosphate Incorporation in Poly(ε-eaprolactone) Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

摘要

The use of synthetic polymeric materials for bone tissue engineering applications is problematic due to their lack of any significant osteoinductive properties. Previous work had indicated that altering the scaffold architecture to produce a more osteoconductive environment, and concentration of CTPs in the scaffolds by up to 12 fold, were not sufficient to significantly enhance the rate of bone formation in these synthetic matrices. 3DP™ allows the flexibility of incorporating other materials into the scaffolds to enhance osteoinductivity. In this study the inclusion of TCP, the mineral component of bone matrix, proved efficacious in significantly increasing the rate of new bone formation in vivo. An alternative, currently under investigation in our labs, is to alter the surface properties of the polymeric component to create selectivity for adhesion and proliferation of progenitor cells. This approach would eliminate the need for inclusion of additional synthetic materials that may remain in the matrix long after their osteoinductive properties are necessary.