Simple Fabrication and Enhanced Bioactivity of Bioglass-Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Composite Scaffolds with Matrix Microporosity

Scaffold porosity plays an important role in bone tissue engineering as macropores promote cell migration and micropores promote protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Currently, most methods use complex, multi-step processes to create dual-scale porosity in composite scaffolds, and no studies evaluate the effect of microporosity on the bioactivity of composite scaffolds with dual porosity. To fill this gap, a simple solvent casting and porogen leaching technique using paraffin microspheres as a porogen and CitriSolv as the leaching solvent to prepare macroporous Bioglass-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (Bg-PLGA) scaffolds with intrinsic micropores (1-10 mu m) in the PLGA matrix is proposed, and the effect of microporosity on the bioactivity of the scaffolds is analyzed. PLGA matrix microporosity induces larger apatite deposition upon immersion in simulated body fluid, as well as enhanced protein adsorption upon contact with serum, compared to non-microporous scaffolds. Also, mesenchymal cells cultured on the microporous scaffolds show extensive matrix deposition. These results highlight this method as a simple and effective technique to produce dual-porosity scaffolds that are excellent candidates for bone tissue engineering, as their enhanced bioactivity, protein adsorption, and the extensive matrix deposition observed in-vitro are good indicators of fast bone integration upon implantation.