Formation of porous biodegradable scaffolds based on poly(propylene carbonate) using gas foaming technology

Iman Manavitehrani; Thi Y L Le; Sean Daly; Yiwei Wang; Peter K Maitz; Aaron Schindeler; Fariba Dehghani

doi:10.1016/j.msec.2018.11.088

Formation of porous biodegradable scaffolds based on poly(propylene carbonate) using gas foaming technology

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2019 Mar:96:824-830. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.11.088. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Authors

Iman Manavitehrani¹, Thi Y L Le², Sean Daly², Yiwei Wang³, Peter K Maitz⁴, Aaron Schindeler⁵, Fariba Dehghani⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia. Electronic address: i.manavitehrani@sydney.edu.au.
² School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia.
³ Burns Research Group, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord, NSW 2139, Australia.
⁴ Burns Research Group, ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord, NSW 2139, Australia; Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Unit, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, New South Wales 2139, Australia.
⁵ School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia; Orthopaedic Research & Biotechnology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead 2145, Australia; Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
⁶ School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia. Electronic address: fariba.dehghani@sydney.edu.au.

PMID: 30606596
DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.11.088

Abstract

Polyester-based scaffolds have been employed in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, microstructure, and affordability. However, the acidic degradation byproducts of most common polyesters have the potential to cause inflammation and/or necrosis. In this study, we introduce a porous scaffold with benign degradation byproducts fabricated by gas-foaming based on poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) blended with starch and bioglass particles. The pore sizes ranged from 100 to 500 μm. Manufacturing parameters were tuned from sub-critical to super-critical conditions to optimize porosity, pore size, pore interconnectivity, and mechanical properties. The biological behavior of the constructs was evaluated by in vitro toxicity and proliferation assays and in vivo subcutaneous biocompatibility. Tissue integration was observed in a joint implantation model, supporting the further development of the scaffold for tissue engineering applications.

Keywords: Biodegradable; Gas-foaming; Medical implant; Polypropylene carbonate; Scaffold.

MeSH terms

Absorbable Implants*
Fibroblasts / cytology
Fibroblasts / metabolism*
Gases / chemistry*
Humans
Materials Testing*
Polypropylenes / chemistry*
Porosity
Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*

Substances

Gases
Polypropylenes