Inclusion of Magnesium- and Strontium-Enriched Bioactive Glass into Electrospun PCL Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Bioactive glass (BG) exhibits osteogenic, osteoinductive, antimicrobial, and angiogenic properties, making it suitable for bone regeneration.
• Electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) mats are promising scaffolds for tissue engineering but lack inherent bioactivity.
• Incorporating BG into nano-/micro-fiber scaffolds presents fabrication challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize composite electrospun PCL mats containing two different bioactive glass (BG) compositions (45S5 and 45S5_MS).
• To investigate the effect of BG incorporation on the structural, mechanical, and biological properties of PCL scaffolds.
• To evaluate the potential of these composite scaffolds for tissue regeneration applications.

Main Methods:

• Melt-quench-derived bioactive glass (BG) powders (45S5 and 45S5_MS) were incorporated into poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) solutions at 10 wt.% and 20 wt.%.
• A grinding process was used to disperse BG powders, followed by electrospinning to create composite mats with fiber diameters ranging from 500 nm to 2 µm.
• Mechanical properties and cell responses (proliferation and differentiation) of the composite scaffolds were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Bioactive glass (BG) powders were successfully dispersed within the PCL electrospun fibers, ranging from 500 nm to 2 µm in diameter.
• The inclusion of BG powders did not negatively impact the mechanical properties of the PCL mats.
• Composite scaffolds showed preserved or enhanced biological performance, including proper cell differentiation and proliferation, compared to unloaded PCL scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• Composite electrospun PCL mats incorporating bioactive glass (BG) powders are successfully fabricated.
• These BG-PCL composite scaffolds maintain mechanical integrity and exhibit enhanced biological properties.
• The developed scaffolds show significant potential for applications in tissue regeneration, particularly bone repair.