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Tissue engineering makes use of 3D scaffolds to sustain three-dimensional growth of cells and guide new tissue formation. To meet the multiple requirements for regeneration of biological tissues and organs, a wide range of scaffold fabrication techniques have been developed, aiming to produce porous constructs with the desired pore size range and pore morphology. Among different scaffold fabrication techniques, thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method has been widely used in recent years because of its potential to produce highly porous scaffolds with interconnected pore morphology. The scaffold architecture can be closely controlled by adjusting the process parameters, including polymer type and concentration, solvent composition, quenching temperature and time, coarsening process, and incorporation of inorganic particles. The objective of this review is to provide information pertaining to the effect of these parameters on the architecture and properties of the scaffolds fabricated by the TIPS technique. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1304–1315, 2014.

International audience; Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been the subject of many studies in recent years, ranging from basic science that looks into MSCs properties to studies that aim for developing bioengineered tissues and organs. Adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) have been the focus of most studies due to the inherent potential of these cells to differentiate into various cell types. Although, the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of cellular differentiation. These cells are another attractive stem cell source because of their ability to be reprogramed, allowing the generation of multiple cell types from a single cell. This paper briefly covers various types of stem cell sources that have been used for tissue engineering applications, with a focus on bone regeneration. Then, an overview of some recent studies making use of MSC-seeded 3D scaffold systems for bone tissue engineering has been presented. The emphasis has been placed on the reported scaffold properties that tend to improve MSCs adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation outcomes

This study examines the potential use of porous polycaprolactone (PCL) and polycaprolocatone/hydroxyapatite (PCL/HA) scaffolds fabricated through melt molding and porogen leaching for bone tissue engineering. While eliminating organic solvents is desirable, the process steps proposed in this study for uniformly dispersing HA particles (~5 μm in size) within the scaffold can also contribute to homogeneous properties for these porous composites. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was chosen as a porogen due to its similar density and melting point as PCL. Pore size of the scaffold was controlled by limiting the size of PCL and PEO particles used in fabrication. The percent of HA in the fabricated scaffolds was quantified by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Mechanical testing was used to compare the modulus of the scaffolds to that of bone, and the pore size distribution was examined with microcomputed tomography (μCT). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the effect on scaffold morphology caused by the addition of HA particles. Both μCT and SEM results showed that HA could be incorporated into PCL scaffolds without negatively affecting scaffold morphology or pore formation. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and elemental mapping demonstrated a uniform distribution of HA within PCL/HA scaffolds. Murine calvaria-derived MC3T3-E1 cells were used to determine whether cells could attach on scaffolds and grow for up to 21 days. SEM images revealed an increase in cell attachment with the incorporation of HA into the scaffolds. Similarly, DNA content analysis showed a higher cell adhesion to PCL/HA scaffolds.

Tissue engineering makes use of the principles of biology and engineering to sustain 3D cell growth and promote tissue repair and/or regeneration. In this study, macro/microporous scaffold architectures have been developed using a hybrid solid freeform fabrication/thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) dissolved in 1,4-dioxane was used to generate a microporous matrix by the TIPS method. The 3D-bioplotting technique was used to fabricate 3D macroporous constructs made of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Embedding the PEG constructs inside the PLGA solution prior to the TIPS process and subsequent extraction of PEG following solvent removal (1,4-dioaxane) resulted in a macro/microporous structure. These hierarchical scaffolds with a bimodal pore size distribution (50 and300 μm) contained orthogonally interconnected macro-channels generated by the extracted PEG. The diameter of the macro-channels was varied by tuning the dispensing parameters of the 3D bioplotter. The in vitro cell culture using murine MC3T3-E1 cell line for 21 days demonstrated that these scaffolds could provide a favorable environment to support cell adhesion and growth.

Critical-sized bone defects have, in many cases, posed challenges to the current gold standard treatments. Bioactive glasses are reported to be able to stimulate more bone regeneration than other bioactive ceramics; however, the difficulty in producing porous scaffolds made of bioactive glasses has limited their extensive use in bone regeneration. On the other hand, calcium phosphate ceramics such as synthetic hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate are widely used in the clinic, but they stimulate less bone regeneration. This paper gives an overview of the recent developments in the field of bioactive nanoparticles, with a focus on nanohydroxyapatite and bioactive glasses for bone repair and regeneration. First, a brief overview of the chemical structure and common methods used to produce synthetic nanohydroxyapatite and bioactive glasses has been presented. The main body of the paper covers the physical and biological properties of these biomaterials, as well as their composites with biodegradable polymers used in bone regeneration. A summary of existing challenges and some recommendations for future directions have been brought in the concluding section of this paper.