Enhanced osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells on electrospun cellulose nanocrystals/poly(ε-caprolactone) nanofibers on graphene oxide substrates

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have received a great amount of attention to the production of micro/nano-platforms for tissue engineering applications. CNCs were extracted from rice husk biomass and characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. The biocompatibility of the extracted CNCs was revealed by the WST-1 assay technique in the presence of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) after different time intervals. An improvement in the mechanical properties was observed in the fabricated scaffolds (PCL/CNC) compared to PCL scaffolds. Graphene oxide (GO)-coated (PCL/CNC) electrospun scaffolds (GPC) were prepared by the deposition of PCL/CNC composite nanofibers on the surface of GO for tissue engineering. Notably, better cell proliferation and differentiation were observed in the presence of the fabricated scaffolds. This enhancement of the properties of the fabricated scaffolds was due to the presence of conductive GO moieties which facilitated the cellular response. Therefore, the fabricated materials have the potential to be used as a biomaterial for enhanced cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.