Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) 3D-Scaffold-Conduit for Guided Tissue Sprouting

Scaffold biocompatibility remains an urgent problem in tissue engineering. An especially interesting problem is guided cell intergrowth and tissue sprouting using a porous scaffold with a special design. Two types of structures were obtained from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using a salt leaching technique. In flat scaffolds (scaffold-1), one side was more porous (pore size 100-300 mu m), while the other side was smoother (pore size 10-50 mu m). Such scaffolds are suitable for the in vitro cultivation of rat mesenchymal stem cells and 3T3 fibroblasts, and, upon subcutaneous implantation to older rats, they cause moderate inflammation and the formation of a fibrous capsule. Scaffold-2s are homogeneous volumetric hard sponges (pore size 30-300 mu m) with more structured pores. They were suitable for the in vitro culturing of 3T3 fibroblasts. Scaffold-2s were used to manufacture a conduit from the PHB/PHBV tube with scaffold-2 as a filler. The subcutaneous implantation of such conduits to older rats resulted in gradual soft connective tissue sprouting through the filler material of the scaffold-2 without any visible inflammatory processes. Thus, scaffold-2 can be used as a guide for connective tissue sprouting. The obtained data are advanced studies for reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering application for the elderly patients.

Automated summary

The biocompatibility of scaffolds in tissue engineering is still an urgent problem. A porous scaffold with a special design was used to guide cell growth and tissue development. Two types of structures were obtained from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) using a salt leaching technique. These scaffolds were suitable for the cultivation of rat mesenchymal stem cells and 3T3 fibroblasts in vitro, and they caused moderate inflammation and the formation of a fibrous capsule when implanted in older rats. A conduit made from PHB/PHBV tube with the scaffold-2 as a filler allowed soft connective tissue sprouting without any visible inflammatory processes when implanted in older rats.