3-Dimensional Porous Nanocomposite Scaffolds Based on Cellulose Nanofibers for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Fully bio-based three-dimensional porous scaffold for cartilage repair was prepared via freeze-drying where cellulose nanofibers, which were cytocompatible, were used as mechanical reinforcement (70-90 wt%) in a matrix of gelatin and chitosan (9:1) and crosslinked using genipin. Morphology studies showed that the scaffolds had interconnected pores with favorable pore diameters (< 250 μm) for cell growth. Compression modulus of the scaffolds (1-3 MPa) at room conditions was in the range for natural cartilage and decreased significantly (0.03-0.05 MPa) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37°C. The high PBS uptake shown by the scaffolds (< 3000 wt%) was attributed to liquid trapped in the pores during immersion in PBS. Furthermore, the scaffolds showed good cytocompatibility towards chondrocytes, which attached and proliferated properly. The scaffolds are considered to have potential in cartilage tissue engineering due to high porosity (≈ 95%) and good mechanical performance that promote cell attachment and extracellular matrix (ECM) production.Validerad; 2016; Nivå 2; 20140922 (narnas