Rational design of bone extracellular matrix mimicking tri-layered composite nanofibers for bone tissue regeneration

Abstract Multilayer nanofibrous scaffolds are gaining great attention in biomedical fields especially as tissue regeneration materials as well as drug delivery devices. Herein, we report the unique design of a tri-layered composite nanofiber scaffold mimicking the bone ECM for bone tissue regeneration. The tri-layered membrane consists of a superficial layer of PVA-PVAc loaded with simvastatin to initiate and improve osteogenesis process via sustained release of the drug as well as the excellent bioactivity of its blended polymers. The PCL-CA-β-tcp middle layer acts as a platform for stimulating the bio mineralization process mimicking the apatite like layer which mainly start after the first week of implantation. The final PCL layer performs as the fundamental layer to keep mechanical properties of the composite mat. The as prepared scaffolds were investigated in terms of morphology characterization, physiochemical properties, biomimetic mineralization, drug release and biocompatibility. The in vitro drug release study confirms the sustained release of simvastatin from the tri-layered membrane by obeying the Korsemeyer-Peppas, Higushi model and Kopcha model. The results demonstrate that the proposed biocompatible tri-layered scaffold will be a promising future material for bone tissue regeneration application by providing higher mineralization, enhanced cell attachment and proliferation.