A 3D nanostructured calcium-aluminum-silicate scaffold with hierarchical meso-macroporosity for bone tissue regeneration: Fabrication, sintering behavior, surface modification and in vitro studies

Abstract

This is a comprehensive study reporting the fabrication of highly porous Gehlenite scaffold (Ca2Al2SiO7)-both with and without surface modification-for the first time. The sintering temperature of Gehlenite scaffolds was optimized. Next, the optimized Gehlenite scaffold was coated by polycaprolactone (PCL)-Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) nanocomposite to improve the scaffold's brittleness and biological properties. 1375 degrees C was found to be the optimized sintering temperature by which the Gehlenite scaffold was consolidated. Different PCL and Forsterite concentrations were separately applied on the optimized scaffold to yield a complete nanocomposite coating without clogging the macroporous structure. The bioactivity, degradation rate, cell viability, attachment and proliferation of three different scaffolds-non-coated (sintered at 1375 degrees C), PCL-coated and PCL/Forsterite nanocomposite-coated-were scrutinized and compared to each other in vitro. Based on our results, it is concluded that the PCL-Forsterite nanocomposite-coated scaffold with desired physical, chemical and biological-related properties has a great potential for bone tissue regeneration.