Microcarriers offer attractive properties in tissue engineering, namely for bone, cartilage, skin, vascular, central nervous system. Although polyester-based microcarriers have been already proposed for this purpose, their surface properties are not specifically adapted to promote cell adhesion and growth.The main purpose of this study was to prepare microcarriers based on poly(D,L-lactide) acid (PDLLA), poly(L-lactide) acid (PLLA), and to study fibroblast behavior (adhesion, spreading, growth and proliferation) in function of microbead topography and surface chemistry. To improve L-929 fibroblast adhesion, surface of the microcarriers has been modified with polycations: chitosan, poly(2-dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate) (PDMAEMA) or chitosan-g-oligolactide copolymer (chit-g-OLA). These two first polyelectrolytes have been physically adsorbed on the preformed microbeads, while chit-g-OLA copolymer has been anchored to the surface during the manufacturing process of microbead formation. This simple approach 1) bypass the use of an emulsifier (polyvinyl alcohol, PVA); 2) avoid surface "contamination" with PVA molecules limiting a control of the surface characteristics.In vitro study of the growth of mouse fibroblasts on the microbeads showed that both surface topography and chemistry affected cell attachment, spreading and proliferation. Cultivation of L-929 fibroblasts for 7 days resulted in the formation of a 3D cell-scaffold network.

Fiber scaffolds are attractive materials for mimicking, within a 3D in vitro system, any living environment in which animal cells can adhere and proliferate. In three dimensions, cells have the ability to communicate and organize into complex architectures similar to those found in their natural environments. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in terms of cell reactivity, a new in vitro cell model: dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in a 3D polymeric textile. Scaffolds were knitted from polyglycolic acid (PGA) or polydioxanone (PDO) fibers differing in surface roughness. To promote cell adhesion, these hydrophobic fabrics were also functionalized with either chitosan or the peptide arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD). Cell behavior was examined 1, 10, and 21 days post-seeding with a LIVE/DEAD Kit. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) highlighted the biocompatibility of these materials (cell survival rate: 94% to 100%). Fiber roughness was found to influence cell adhesion and viability significantly and favorably. A clear benefit of polymeric textile functionalization with chitosan or RGD was demonstrated in terms of cell adhesion and viability. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 785-794, 2017.

The new era of biomaterials for repairing bone tissue injury continues to be a challenge in bone tissue engineering. The fiber scaffolds allow for cellular interconnection and a microenvironment close to the bone extracellular matrix. The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteoblast behavior on a 3D textile of PGA (polyglycolic acid) fibers functionalized with the RGD (R: arginine; G: glycine; D: aspartic acid) peptide. The cell morphology, proliferation, and calcium phosphate deposition ability were evaluated on textiles at different time intervals under a confocal laser scanning microscope. The osteoblast viability ranged from 92% to 98%, and cell proliferation was higher in PGA-RGD than control PGA (uncoated). In addition, the osteoblast calcium phosphate deposition was significantly greater on PGA-RGD in osteogenic inductor medium (OIM) in contrast to controls without inducing factors. The PGA-RGD fibers supported proliferation and viability of osteoblast and stimulated bone osteogenesis and mineralization. These results support the adoption of this 3D polymeric textile as a scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

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