Biodegradable Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Based on Nanocellulose/PLGA Nanocomposite for NIH 3T3 Cell Cultivation

The ideal tissue engineering scaffolds should have adjustable biodegradability with high porosity, interconnected pores, sufficient mechanical properties and biocompatibility. In this study, three-dimensional porous tissue engineering scaffolds were fabricated by freeze-drying an ultrasonically blended suspension of cellulose-nanofibers (CNFs) with biodegradable poly(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), and the influence of the mass ratio of CNFs and PLGA on micromorphology, porosity and mechanical properties of the scaffolds were investigated. The aggregation state and viability of NIH 3T3 cells cultivated on the scaffold materials were observed using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, respectively. The results showed that the porosity of the scaffolds with different mass ratios were all greater than 95%, and pore size distribution in the scaffolds was homogeneous and the micropores were interconnected when the mass fraction of CNFs and PLGA was 5: 1. The mechanical strength of the scaffolds increased with increasing amount of CNFs, and was equivalent to that of cartilage tissue, at the kilopascal level. Following cultivation on the scaffolds for approximately two weeks, NIH 3T3 cells were evenly attached to the material and still viable. Therefore, biodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds based on CNFs/PLGA nanocomposite possess suitable mechanical strength and biocompatibility for cell cultivation and may have applications in tissue engineering.