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The potential of the copolymer polycaprolactone‐co‐poly‐d,l‐lactic acid (PCLLA) as a biomaterial for scaffold‐based therapy for breast tissue engineering applications was assessed. First, the synthesized PCLLA was evaluated for its processability by means of additive manufacturing (AM). We found that the synthesized PCLLA could be fabricated into scaffolds with an overall gross morphology and porosity similar to that of polycaprolactone. The PCLLA scaffolds possessed a compressive Young's modulus (ca 46 kPa) similar to that of native breast (0.5 − 25 kPa), but lacked thermal stability and underwent thermal degradation during the fabrication process. The PCLLA scaffolds underwent rapid degradation in vitro which was characterized by loss of the scaffolds' mechanical integrity and a drastic decrease in mass‐average molar mass (Mw) and number‐average molar mass (Mn) after 4 weeks of immersion in phosphate buffer solution maintained at 37 °C. The tin‐catalysed PCLLA scaffold was also found to have cytotoxic effects on cells. Although the initial mechanical properties of the PCLLA scaffolds generally showed potential for applications in breast tissue regeneration, the thermal stability of the copolymer for AM processes, biocompatibility towards cells and degradation rate is not satisfactory at this stage. Therefore, we conclude that research efforts should be geared towards fine‐tuning the copolymer synthesizing methods. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

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Cell compatibility of biomaterials is one of the most important issues in Tissue Engineering. It is affected by the catalyst, the chemical composition and the surface topography of the material. Our aim was to study the influence of these factors for three standard FDA-approved biopolymers on the proliferation of preadipocytes. The analyzed materials were polyesters, which were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization. Tin(II)octanoate is the standard catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP); however, considered to be cytotoxic. Therefore, we compare its compatibility with iron catalysts. Our study suggests that neither polymers nor catalysts or mechanical properties have a significant impact on cell compatibility in short term 2D cell cultures in vitro. In contrast, nanoroughness can influence how cells attach and spread in a material, showing an influence on preadipocyte proliferation. Higher nanoroughness leads to higher cell compatibility, which becomes more pronounced with time.