Elastic poly(ε-caprolactone)-polydimethylsiloxane copolymer fibers with shape memory effect for bone tissue engineering

Biomed Mater. 2016 Feb 2;11(1):015007. doi: 10.1088/1748-6041/11/1/015007.

Abstract

A porous shape memory scaffold with biomimetic architecture is highly promising for bone tissue engineering applications. In this study, a series of new shape memory polyurethanes consisting of organic poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) segments and inorganic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) segments in different ratios (9 : 1, 8 : 2 and 7 : 3) was synthesised. These PCL-PDMS copolymers were further engineered into porous fibrous scaffolds by electrospinning. With different ratios of PCL: PDMS, the fibers showed various fiber diameters, thermal behaviour and mechanical properties. Even after being processed into fibrous structures, these PCL-PDMS copolymers maintained their shape memory properties, and all the fibers exhibited excellent shape recovery ratios of >90% and shape fixity ratios of >92% after 7 thermo-mechanical cycles. Biological assay results corroborated that the fibrous PCL-PDMS scaffolds were biocompatible by promoting osteoblast proliferation, functionally enhanced biomineralization-relevant alkaline phosphatase expression and mineral deposition. Our study demonstrated that the PCL-PDMS fibers with excellent shape memory properties are promising substrates as bioengineered grafts for bone regeneration.

MeSH terms

  • Bone Substitutes / chemical synthesis*
  • Cell Proliferation / physiology
  • Cell Survival / physiology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes / chemistry*
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Hot Temperature
  • Humans
  • Nanofibers / chemistry*
  • Nanofibers / ultrastructure
  • Osteoblasts / cytology
  • Osteoblasts / physiology*
  • Polyesters / chemical synthesis*
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Tensile Strength
  • Tissue Engineering / instrumentation
  • Tissue Engineering / methods
  • Tissue Scaffolds*

Substances

  • Bone Substitutes
  • Dimethylpolysiloxanes
  • Polyesters
  • polycaprolactone
  • baysilon