• Electrospun bioactive polycaprolactone/Brushite biocomposite for bone tissue engineering applications
  • Seyedeh Sara Shafiei,1,* Yeganeh Nikakhtar,2
    1. National Institute of genetic engineering and biotechnology
    2. National Institute of genetic engineering and biotechnology


  • Introduction: Tissue engineering has developed several methods for repairing and replacing damaged tissue using biological factors, cells, and biological scaffolds.
  • Methods: In this study was used dicalcium phosphate dehydrate (brushite) as Bone phase mineral precursor in different amount of weight percentage (0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%) in combination with biocompatible polymer, poly caprolactone (PCL), In order to reinforce the physical, biochemical, biological and mechanical properties by electrospinning. The adhesion, viability, proliferation, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from the human bone marrow (hMSC) on scaffolds were investigated using electron microscopy (SEM), MTT assay, live-dead assay, alizarin red staining, alkaline phosphatase activity assay, osteocalcin (OCN) gene expression analysis by Real-time PCR. The morphology and mechanical properties of scaffolds were characterized, using SEM and tensile strength test and the bioactivity of the scaffold in stimulated body fluid (SBF) was assessed.
  • Results: The results showed that PCL-DCPD 3 wt% had the highest tensile strength (15.35 MPa) and indicated a significant increase in compared with pure PCL. Furthermore, hMSC seeded on scaffolds after 1, 3, 7 days showed over 80% viability. Alkaline phosphatase enzyme activity of cells on PCL-DCPD 3 wt% in compared with pure PCL was increased. In addition, the osteocalcin (OCN) gene in the 3% DCPD scaffold showed a 6.1- fold increase in expression compared to pure PCL.
  • Conclusion: It is concluded That electrospund PCL- DCPD scaffolds with optimum concentration can be proper candidate for bone tissue engineering application.
  • Keywords: scaffold, electrospinning, tissue engineering, polycaprolactone, dicalcium phosphate dehydrate