Investigation on Electrospun and Solvent-Casted PCL-PLGA Blends Scaffolds Embedded with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering

Mariella Rosalia; Martina Giacomini; Erika Maria Tottoli; Rossella Dorati; Giovanna Bruni; Ida Genta; Enrica Chiesa; Silvia Pisani; Maurilio Sampaolesi; Bice Conti

doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15122736

Pharmaceutics (Dec 2023)

Investigation on Electrospun and Solvent-Casted PCL-PLGA Blends Scaffolds Embedded with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Tissue Engineering

Mariella Rosalia,
Martina Giacomini,
Erika Maria Tottoli,
Rossella Dorati,
Giovanna Bruni,
Ida Genta,
Enrica Chiesa,
Silvia Pisani,
Maurilio Sampaolesi,
Bice Conti

Affiliations

Mariella Rosalia: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Martina Giacomini: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Erika Maria Tottoli: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Rossella Dorati: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Giovanna Bruni: Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase (C.S.G.I.), Department of Chemistry, Physical Chemistry Section, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Ida Genta: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Enrica Chiesa: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Silvia Pisani: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Maurilio Sampaolesi: Translational Cardiomyology Laboratory, Head Unit of Stem Cell and Developmental Biology (SCDB), Head Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, ON4 Herestraat 49, Box 804, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Bice Conti: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15122736
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 12
p. 2736

Abstract

Read online

The design, production, and characterisation of tissue-engineered scaffolds made of polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), polycaprolactone (PCL) and their blends obtained through electrospinning (ES) or solvent casting/particulate leaching (SC) manufacturing techniques are presented here. The polymer blend composition was chosen to always obtain a prevalence of one of the two polymers, in order to investigate the contribution of the less concentrated polymer on the scaffolds’ properties. Physical–chemical characterization of ES scaffolds demonstrated that tailoring of fibre diameter and Young modulus (YM) was possible by controlling PCL concentration in PLGA-based blends, increasing the fibre diameter from 0.6 to 1.0 µm and reducing the YM from about 22 to 9 MPa. SC scaffolds showed a “bubble-like” topography, caused by the porogen spherical particles, which is responsible for decreasing the contact angles from about 110° in ES scaffolds to about 74° in SC specimens. Nevertheless, due to phase separation within the blend, solvent-casted samples displayed less reproducible properties. Furthermore, ES samples were characterised by 10-fold higher water uptake than SC scaffolds. The scaffolds suitability as iPSCs culturing support was evaluated using XTT assay, and pluripotency and integrin gene expression were investigated using RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. Thanks to their higher wettability and appropriate YM, SC scaffolds seemed to be superior in ensuring high cell viability over 5 days, whereas the ability to maintain iPSCs pluripotency status was found to be similar for ES and SC scaffolds.

Published in Pharmaceutics

ISSN: 1999-4923 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Pharmacy and materia medica
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmaceutics/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords