Aim: To assess the properties of 3D biodegradable scaffolds fabricated from novel star-shaped poly(D,L-lactide) (SSL) materials for bone tissue regeneration.
Materials & methods: The SSL polymer was synthesized using an optimized synthetic procedure and applied for scaffold fabrication by the two-photon polymerization technique. The osteogenic differentiation was controlled using human adipose-derived stem cells cultured for 28 days. The SSL scaffolds with or without murine MSCs were implanted into the cranial bone of C57/Bl6 mice.
Results: The SSL scaffolds supported differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells toward the osteogenic lineage in vitro. The SSL scaffolds with murine MSCs enhanced the mineralized tissue formation.
Conclusion: The SSL scaffolds provide a beneficial microenvironment for the osteogenic MSCs' differentiation in vitro and support de novo bone formation in vivo.
Keywords: MSCs; osteogenic differentiation; star-shaped polylactide; tissue engineering scaffolds; two-photon polymerization (2PP).