In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface

Osteochondral (OC) tissue plays a crucial role due to its ability to connect bone and cartilage tissues. To address the complexity of structure and functionality at the bone–cartilage interface, relevant to the presence of the tidemark as a critical element at the bone–cartilage boundary, we fabrica...

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Main Authors: Victoria Effiong Effanga, Dana Akilbekova, Fariza Mukasheva, Xiao Zhao, Dilhan M. Kalyon, Cevat Erisken
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Gels
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/11/745
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author Victoria Effiong Effanga
Dana Akilbekova
Fariza Mukasheva
Xiao Zhao
Dilhan M. Kalyon
Cevat Erisken
author_facet Victoria Effiong Effanga
Dana Akilbekova
Fariza Mukasheva
Xiao Zhao
Dilhan M. Kalyon
Cevat Erisken
author_sort Victoria Effiong Effanga
collection DOAJ
description Osteochondral (OC) tissue plays a crucial role due to its ability to connect bone and cartilage tissues. To address the complexity of structure and functionality at the bone–cartilage interface, relevant to the presence of the tidemark as a critical element at the bone–cartilage boundary, we fabricated graded scaffolds through sequential 3D printing. The scaffold’s bottom layer was based on a gelatin/oxidized alginate mixture enriched with hydroxyapatite (HAp) to create a rougher surface and larger pores to promote osteogenesis. In contrast, the upper layer was engineered to have smaller pores and aimed to promote cartilage tissue formation and mimic the physical properties of the cartilage. An electrospun ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) membrane with micrometer-range pores was incorporated between the layers to replicate the function of tidemark—a barrier to prevent vascularization of cartilage from subchondral bone tissue. In vitro cell studies confirmed the viability of the cells on the layers of the scaffolds and the ability of PCL mesh to prevent cellular migration. The fabricated scaffolds were thoroughly characterized, and their mechanical properties were compared to native OC tissue, demonstrating suitability for OC tissue engineering and graft modeling. The distance of gradient of mineral concentration was found to be 151 µm for grafts and the native OC interface.
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spelling doaj-art-013e75aec80241c19286cf1a1d8dd3bb2025-08-20T02:28:05ZengMDPI AGGels2310-28612024-11-01101174510.3390/gels10110745In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral InterfaceVictoria Effiong Effanga0Dana Akilbekova1Fariza Mukasheva2Xiao Zhao3Dilhan M. Kalyon4Cevat Erisken5Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, 010000 Astana, KazakhstanDepartment of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, 010000 Astana, KazakhstanDepartment of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, 010000 Astana, KazakhstanDepartment of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USADepartment of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USADepartment of Chemical and Materials Engineering, School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, 010000 Astana, KazakhstanOsteochondral (OC) tissue plays a crucial role due to its ability to connect bone and cartilage tissues. To address the complexity of structure and functionality at the bone–cartilage interface, relevant to the presence of the tidemark as a critical element at the bone–cartilage boundary, we fabricated graded scaffolds through sequential 3D printing. The scaffold’s bottom layer was based on a gelatin/oxidized alginate mixture enriched with hydroxyapatite (HAp) to create a rougher surface and larger pores to promote osteogenesis. In contrast, the upper layer was engineered to have smaller pores and aimed to promote cartilage tissue formation and mimic the physical properties of the cartilage. An electrospun ε-polycaprolactone (PCL) membrane with micrometer-range pores was incorporated between the layers to replicate the function of tidemark—a barrier to prevent vascularization of cartilage from subchondral bone tissue. In vitro cell studies confirmed the viability of the cells on the layers of the scaffolds and the ability of PCL mesh to prevent cellular migration. The fabricated scaffolds were thoroughly characterized, and their mechanical properties were compared to native OC tissue, demonstrating suitability for OC tissue engineering and graft modeling. The distance of gradient of mineral concentration was found to be 151 µm for grafts and the native OC interface.https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/11/745osteochondral3D printingtidemarkelectrospinningtissue engineering
spellingShingle Victoria Effiong Effanga
Dana Akilbekova
Fariza Mukasheva
Xiao Zhao
Dilhan M. Kalyon
Cevat Erisken
In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
Gels
osteochondral
3D printing
tidemark
electrospinning
tissue engineering
title In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
title_full In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
title_fullStr In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
title_full_unstemmed In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
title_short In Vitro Investigation of 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds with Electrospun Tidemark Component for Modeling Osteochondral Interface
title_sort in vitro investigation of 3d printed hydrogel scaffolds with electrospun tidemark component for modeling osteochondral interface
topic osteochondral
3D printing
tidemark
electrospinning
tissue engineering
url https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/10/11/745
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