E-Design and Fabrication of 3D-Printed Polycaprolactone/Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid Hybrid Scaffold Containing Alginate Nanoparticles for Cartilage Tissue Engineering Applications

The most important strategy in tissue engineering is the relationship between the three components of biomaterials, living cells, and biologically active molecules suitable for tissue regeneration. To be clinically effective, these environments must replicate, as closely as possible, the main characteristics of the native Extracellular Matrix (ECM) on a cellular scale. Tissue engineering is generally employed to create hybrid scaffolding to support cartilage tissue regeneration using fabrication 3D printing techniques. The current study designed a three-dimensional scaffold using FDA-approved Polycaprolactone/Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PCL/PLGA) polymers. Then, 40 and 45 (w/w) alginate nanoparticles were added to the bio-ink to improve the printability, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility of the scaffolds. Finally, 3D-printed scaffolds were evaluated using mechanical properties, surface hydrophilicity, water absorption, biodegradability, surface morphology, and cell viability. The results showed that increasing the percentage of alginate nanoparticles in the bio-ink would increase the percentage of porosity, surface hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, cell viability, and printability. In addition, water absorption and compression modules of PCL/PLGA 3D-printed scaffolds containing 45 % alginate were optimized, compared to those of other groups, hence used as bio-ink in 3D printing of scaffolds in tissue engineering defects.