Thermally induced self-agglomeration 3D scaffolds with BMP-2-loaded core-shell fibers for enhanced osteogenic differentiation of rat adipose-derived stem cells

Introduction: Scaffold structure plays a vital role in cell behaviors. Compared with two-dimensional structure, 3D scaffolds can mimic natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and promote cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The combination of osteoconductive scaffolds and osteoinductive growth factors is considered to have synergistic effects on bone regeneration. Materials and methods: In this study, core-shell poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/polycaprolactone (PCL)-BMP-2 (PP-B) fibrous scaffolds were prepared through coaxial electrospinning. Next, we fabricated 3D scaffolds based on PP-B fibers with thermally induced self-agglomeration (TISA) method and compared with conventional PLGA/PCL scaffolds in terms of scaffold morphology and BMP-2 release behaviors. Then, rat adipose-derived stem cells (rADSCs) were seeded on the scaffolds, and the effects on cell proliferation, cell morphology, and osteogenic differentiation of rADSCs were detected. Results: The results demonstrated that 3D scaffold incorporated with BMP-2 significantly increased proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rADSCs, followed by PP-B group. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that scaffolds with 3D structure and osteoinductive growth factors have great potential in bone tissue engineering.