New porous polycaprolactone-silica composites for bone regeneration.

Polycaprolactone porous membranes were obtained by freeze extraction of dioxane from polycaprolactone-dioxane solid solutions. Porosities as high as 90% with interconnected structures were obtained by this technique. A silica phase was synthesized inside the pores of the polymer membrane by sol-gel reaction using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica precursor and catalyzed in acidic and basic conditions. Two different morphologies of the inorganic phase were obtained depending on the type of catalyst. In acid catalyzed sol-gel reaction, a homogeneous layer of silica was deposited on the pores, and discrete microspheres were synthesized on the pore walls when a basic catalyst was used. The morphology of the inorganic phase influenced the mechanical and thermal behavior, as well as the hydrophilic character of the composites. Bioactivity of the porous materials was tested in vitro by measuring the deposition of hydroxyapatite on the surfaces of the porous composite membranes. Polycaprolactone/silica composites revealed a superior bioactivity performance compared with that of the pure polymer; evidenced by the characteristic cauliflower structures on the material surface, increase in weight and Ca/P ratio of the hydroxyapatite layer. Also, the acid catalyzed composites presented better bioactivity than the base catalyzed composites, evidencing the importance in the morphology of the silica phase.

Encapsulation and osteoinduction of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts in chitosan-hydroxyapatite microspheres.

Periodontal ligament cells play a crucial role in the regeneration of periodontal tissues and an undifferentiated mesenchymal cell subset is thought to exist within this population. The aim of this study was to assess the osteogenic differentiation potential of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs) in three dimensional (3D)-osteogenic culture environment following encapsulation in chitosan-hydroxyapatite (C/HA) microspheres with the size range of 350-450 microm. Human PDLF cultures were established and three experimental groups were formed: (i) two-dimensional (2D)-culture as single cell monolayer, (ii) 3D-static culture of C/HA encapsulated hPDLFs, and (iii) 3D-dynamic culture of C/HA encapsulated hPDLFs in a rotating wall vessel bioreactor. The cells were cultured in standard culture medium supplemented with beta-glycerophosphate, dexamethasone, and ascorbic acid. After 21 days, immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies against osteonectin, osteopontin, bone-sialoprotein, and osteocalcin as osteogenic differentiation markers. Phase-contrast and scanning electron microscopy observations were used for histological and morphological evaluation. The combined effects of osteoinductive medium and HA-containing composite microsphere material on encapsulated hPDLFs resulted in the transformation of a considerable portion of the cells into osteoblastic lineage at the end of the experiments. Results demonstrate the ability of hPDLFs to undergo osteogenic differentiation upon induction in vitro, both under 2D and 3D culture conditions. C/HA microspheres in microgravity bioreactor may serve as a suitable 3D environment to support the osteogenic differentiation of human PDLFs, in vitro.