Fabrication of cancellous biomimetic chitosan-based nanocomposite scaffolds applying a combinational method for bone tissue engineering

Tissue Engineering Division, Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences,P.O. Box 14359-44711, Tehran, IranReceived 26 July 2014; revised 23 August 2014; accepted 3 September 2014Published online 00 Month 2014 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35320Abstract: The aim of this study was to mimic the specific struc-ture of bone and fabricate a biomimetic nano-hydroxyapatite(HA)/chitosan (Cs)/gelatin scaffolds using combination of parti-cle leaching and freeze drying methods eliminating moldeffects. To achieve an optimum structure, scaffolds with differ-ent gelatin/Cs weight ratio were fabricated. Morphologicalcharacterization of scaffolds by scanning electron microscopymethod showed highly interconnected porous structures simi-lar to cancellous bone with mean pore size ranging from 140 to190 lm. Nano-HA crystals were dispersed homogeneously inthe polymer matrix according to the energy-dispersive X-rayspectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy images.Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction results dis-closed that chemical interactions were formed between nano-HA, Cs, gelatin and crystallinity of each material decreasedwith blending. It was found that increasing the gelatin contentsignificantly improved water uptake, degradation rate as wellas attachment, infiltration and proliferation of Saos2 cells tothe scaffolds. The presented results confirm that the designedbiomimetic nano-HA /Cs/gelatin scaffolds can be used aspromising substitutes for bone tissue engineering.