Three-Dimensional Plotter Technology for Fabricating Polymeric Scaffolds with Micro-grooved Surfaces

Various mechanical techniques have been used to fabricate biomedical scaffolds, including rapid prototyping (RP) devices that operate from CAD files of the target feature information. The three-dimensional (3-D) bio-plotter is one RP system that can produce design-based scaffolds with good mechanical properties for mimicking cartilage and bones. However, the scaffolds fabricated by RP have very smooth surfaces, which tend to discourage initial cell attachment. Initial cell attachment, migration, differentiation and proliferation are strongly dependent on the chemical and physical characteristics of the scaffold surface. In this study, we propose a new 3-D plotting method supplemented with a piezoelectric system for fabricating surface-modified scaffolds. The effects of the physically-modified surface on the mechanical and hydrophilic properties were investigated, and the results of cell culturing of chondrocytes indicate that this technique is a feasible new method for fabricating high-quality 3-D polymeric scaffolds.

[1]  S. Hollister.  Porous scaffold design for tissue engineering , 2005, Nature materials.

[2]  Shoufeng Yang,et al.  Rapid prototyping of ceramic lattices for hard tissue scaffolds , 2008 .

[3]  Yong Wang,et al.  Adhesion and proliferation of OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells on micro- and nano-scale topography structured poly(L-lactide). , 2005, Biomaterials.

[4]  T. Park,et al.  A facile preparation of highly interconnected macroporous PLGA scaffolds by liquid–liquid phase separation II , 2005 .

[5]  Margam Chandrasekaran,et al.  Rapid prototyping in tissue engineering: challenges and potential. , 2004, Trends in biotechnology.

[6]  Thomas J Webster,et al.  Endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cell function on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) with nano-structured surface features. , 2004, Biomaterials.

[7]  P. Yu,et al.  Microstructural evolution during pressureless infiltration of aluminium alloy parts fabricated by selective laser sintering , 2009 .

[8]  Thomas J Webster,et al.  Nano-structured polymers enhance bladder smooth muscle cell function. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[9]  E. Schönherr,et al.  Differential roles for small leucine-rich proteoglycans in bone formation. , 2003, European cells & materials.

[10]  S. Sen,et al.  Matrix Elasticity Directs Stem Cell Lineage Specification , 2006, Cell.

[11]  Jin Zhai,et al.  Super-hydrophobic surfaces: From natural to artificial , 2002 .

[12]  Kevin E. Healy,et al.  A novel method to fabricate bioabsorbable scaffolds , 1995 .

[13]  A F von Recum,et al.  Texturing of polymer surfaces at the cellular level. , 1991, Biomaterials.

[14]  C. V. van Blitterswijk,et al.  Design of porous scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering using a three-dimensional fiber-deposition technique. , 2004, Biomaterials.

[15]  Tim B. F. Woodfield,et al.  Erratum to: SnapShot: Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering [Biomaterials 30/4 (2009) 701–702] ☆ ☆☆ , 2009 .

[16]  Sang Ho Cho,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of hydrophilic poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend cell scaffolds by melt-molding particulate-leaching method. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[17]  Xiaolong Zhu,et al.  Effects of topography and composition of titanium surface oxides on osteoblast responses. , 2004, Biomaterials.

[18]  A. Curtis,et al.  Rapid fibroblast adhesion to 27nm high polymer demixed nano-topography. , 2004, Biomaterials.

[19]  Uwe Thiele,et al.  Wetting of textured surfaces , 2002 .

[20]  B. Kasemo,et al.  Response of rat osteoblast-like cells to microstructured model surfaces in vitro. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[21]  E. Sachlos,et al.  Making tissue engineering scaffolds work. Review: the application of solid freeform fabrication technology to the production of tissue engineering scaffolds. , 2003, European cells & materials.

[22]  Ralph Müller,et al.  Architecture and properties of anisotropic polymer composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. , 2006, Biomaterials.

[23]  GeunHyung Kim,et al.  Hybrid Process for Fabricating 3D Hierarchical Scaffolds Combining Rapid Prototyping and Electrospinning , 2008 .

[24]  A S G Curtis,et al.  Fibroblast reaction to island topography: changes in cytoskeleton and morphology with time. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[25]  M. Dembo,et al.  Substrate flexibility regulates growth and apoptosis of normal but not transformed cells. , 2000, American journal of physiology. Cell physiology.

[26]  Liu Yaxiong,et al.  Preparation of chitosan-gelatin hybrid scaffolds with well-organized microstructures for hepatic tissue engineering. , 2009, Acta biomaterialia.

[27]  Lorenzo Moroni,et al.  3D Fiber‐Deposited Electrospun Integrated Scaffolds Enhance Cartilage Tissue Formation , 2008 .

[28]  K. J. Long,et al.  Surface roughness, porosity, and texture as modifiers of cellular adhesion. , 1996, Tissue engineering.

[29]  W. Saltzman,et al.  Topographical control of human neutrophil motility on micropatterned materials with various surface chemistry. , 2002, Biomaterials.

[30]  T. Woodfield,et al.  Snapshot: Polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. , 2009, Biomaterials.

[31]  P. Ohara,et al.  Contact guidance in vitro. A light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopic study. , 1979, Experimental cell research.

[32]  D. Hutmacher,et al.  Scaffolds in tissue engineering bone and cartilage. , 2000, Biomaterials.

[33]  F. Bäckhed,et al.  Nanoscale features influence epithelial cell morphology and cytokine production. , 2003, Biomaterials.

[34]  N. Jaeger,et al.  Sensitivity of fibroblasts and their cytoskeletons to substratum topographies: topographic guidance and topographic compensation by micromachined grooves of different dimensions. , 1997, Experimental cell research.

[35]  A. Curtis,et al.  The influence of microscale topography on fibroblast attachment and motility. , 2004, Biomaterials.