Three-dimensional mesoporous-giantporous inorganic/organic composite scaffolds for tissue engineering

A process that can be used for the efficient and reproducible preparation of hierarchically 3D mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG)/polymer composites for tissue engineering, using a combination of the sol-gel and polymer templating, was reported. Heat controlled blowing system in the rapid prototyping (RP) technique was used to maintain the 3D scaffold morphology followed by the rapid evaporation of the solvent. The results show that the heat controlled blowing at 40°C allows the instantaneous evaporation of chloroform after extruding the MBG/polymer paste. The high porosity in the MBGs favors the rapid formation of an apatite-like layer, as it facilitates the rapid and massive release of calcium ions. The microscopic images reveal that the surface of the MBG/polymer composite scaffold undergoes important changes when it reacts with the SBF.