PLLA for cartilage/bone tissue engineering

PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) provides a wide variety of PLA and PLGA polymers. Recently these types of polymers have been electrospun along with gelatin to create a composite scaffold capable of supporting chondrocytes for potential cartilage/bone tissue engineering applications. Read more Torricelli, Paola, Michela Gioffre, Andrea Fiorani, Silvia Panzavolta, Chiara Gualandi, Milena Fini, Maria Letizia Focarete, and Adriana Bigi. "Co-electrospun gelatin-poly (l-lactic acid) scaffolds: Modulation of mechanical properties and chondrocyte response as a function of composition." Materials Science and Engineering: C 36 (2014): 130-138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2013.11.050

“Abstract: Bio-synthetic scaffolds of interspersed poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and gelatin (GEL) fibers are fabricated by co-electrospinning. Tailored PLLA/GEL compositions are obtained and GEL crosslinking with genipin provides for the maintenance of good fiber morphology. Scaffold tensile mechanical properties are intermediate between those of pure PLLA and GEL and vary as a function of PLLA content. Primary human chondrocytes grown on the scaffolds exhibit good proliferation and increased values of the differentiation parameters, especially for intermediate PLLA/GEL compositions. Mineralization tests enable the deposition of a uniform layer of poorly crystalline apatite onto the scaffolds, suggesting potential applications involving cartilage as well as cartilage–bone interface tissue engineering. Keywords: Electrospun scaffolds; Poly(lactic acid); Gelatin; Mineralization; Chondrocytes”