Biocompatible chemical network of α-cellulose-ESBO (epoxidized soybean oil) scaffold for tissue engineering application

Despite many desirable properties, the use of alpha-cellulose in biomedical applications is limited because of its poor processability. Here we demonstrate that the chemical network of alpha-cellulose and epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) can be adequately processed into biocompatible, self-standing, highly-porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. First, alpha-cellulose was dissolved in N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide monohydrate (NMMO.MH) and chemically crosslinked by ESBO. Then, the porous scaffolds of alpha-cellulose-ESBO were fabricated by solvent exchange and freeze-drying techniques. The scaffolds were evaluated for morphology, thermal and mechanical stability, and in vitro cell attachment and cell viability. Scanning electron microscopy images and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller results suggested that porous scaffolds provide a good surface and internal structure for cell adhesion and growth. Specifically, the alpha-cellulose-ESBO scaffolds support the homogeneous attachment and proliferation of MG63 cells. Overall, our results suggest that alpha-cellulose-ESBO chemically crosslinked networks are biocompatible and demonstrate a remarkable capacity for the development of tissue engineering platforms.