Our partners from the RESTORE project have recently published an article titled “Design and development of poly-L/D-lactide copolymer and barium titanate nanoparticle 3D composite scaffolds using breath figure method for tissue engineering applications” in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces. The study shows that barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNP) can be combined with poly-L/D-lactide copolymer (PLDLA) to create a composite scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering applications.

BTNPs are non-toxic piezoelectric nanoparticles that can provide electromechanical stimulation for cells. BTNP’s potential in biological applications has not been adequately utilised yet. Porosity is a vital feature to obtain when developing a suitable scaffold structure for tissue repair. The breath figure method was used in this work to create a porous 3D composite scaffold using BTNPs and a poly-L/D-lactide copolymer. Uncoated BTNPs increased the pore size of the scaffold and enabled cell migration into the pores.

BTNPs are non-toxic piezoelectric nanoparticles, which could provide electromechanical stimulation for cells. In the study, BTNPs were incorporated into the PLDLA scaffold by using the breath figure method. Biocompatibility of the composite scaffold was tested with ovine bone marrow stromal stem cells. It was shown that the PLDLA/BTNP scaffold maintained cell viability and proliferation during 14 days of culture. By combining uncoated BTNPs into a PLDLA scaffold, a suitable structure can be created for cells to migrate into pores.

The next step is to study these composite scaffolds in more detail in cartilage tissue engineering applications to preserve the natural phenotype of chondrocytes.
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