Preparation and characterization of porous heparin-immobilized PLGA scaffolds using novel solid hydrogen peroxide for cartilage regeneration

Abstract

The objective of this study was to develop porous functionalized scaffold which has more biominetic and bioactivity using a heparin for cartilage regeneration. Three dimensional(3D) porous poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide)(PLGA) scaffold was fabricated using Urea hydrogen peroxide as a novel porogen. The prepared scaffold was then functionalized through Ar plasma treatment and in situ graft polymerization of acrylic acid (AAc), and then hepar-in immobilization onto AAc-grafted scaffold surface. The porosity and pore size of the scaffolds were above 70% and 80-230 mu m, respectively. The immobilization of heparin on the scaffold surface was confirmed from ATR-FTIR analysis and toluidine blue O test. The heparin-immobilized scaffold showed stronger ability to induce chondrocyte attachment, proliferation, and viability than that of the control PLGA scaffold. The resulting porous heparin-immobilized PLGA scaffold would be more bioacive and suitable for chondrocyte culture, which will be expected to be a potentially applicable material as more biomimetic scaffolds for tissue regeneration including cartilage.