Highly osteogenic and mechanically strong nanofibrous scaffolds based on functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes-reinforced electrospun keratin/poly(ε-caprolactone). (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mahmoodi, Mahboobeh; Haghighi, Vida; Mirhaj, Marjan; Tavafoghi, Maryam; Shams, Fatemeh; Darabi, Ali
• Is Part Of: Materials today communications. Volume 27(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: Bone tissue engineering -- Keratin -- Carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes -- Osteogenic differentiation -- Human adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells -- Electrospinning; Materials science -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2021.102401
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-4928

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: The nanofibrous scaffolds based on CNTs-reinforced keratin (Kr)/PCL were successfully fabricated using electrospinning. CNTs increased the tensile strength of the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold by a factor of two compared to the PCL/Kr scaffold. ALP activity and Ca deposition confirmed the accelerated osteogenic differentiation of hAD-MSCs on the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold. The wettability and bone mineralization in the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold were higher than PCL/Kr scaffold. Abstract: Here, we fabricated the electrospun scaffolds (so called PCL/Kr and PCL/Kr/CNT) based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), keratin (Kr), and carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs-COOH). Our goal was to evaluate the effect of CNTs-COOH on the osteogenic differentiation and mechanical and physicochemical properties of the scaffolds. We found that the addition of CNTs-COOH to the PCL/Kr scaffold reduced the average fiber diameter from 123 to 55 nm. As a result, the specific surface area of the scaffolds increased from 6 m 2 /g for the PCL/Kr scaffold to 15 m 2 /g for the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold. Also, the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold showed significantly higher tensile strength (8 vs 3 MPa) and modulus (114 vs 43 MPa) compared to the PCL/Kr scaffold. The formation of hydroxyapatite on the scaffolds incubated in simulated body fluid indicated the excellent osteoconductivity of the CNTs-containing scaffold. The presence of CNTs-COOH in the PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold also improved the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells as confirmed by the increased alkaline phosphatase activity and mineral formation on the surface of the scaffold. The PCL/Kr/CNT scaffold developed here can provide a mechanically strong construct with improved osteogenic properties for a variety of hard tissue engineering applications.