The advent of 3D
printing technology has made remarkable progress
in the field of tissue engineering. Yet, it has been challenging to
reproduce the desired mechanical properties of certain tissues by
3D printing. This was majorly due to the lack of 3D printable materials
possessing mechanical properties similar to the native tissue. In
this study, we have synthesized four different ratios of poly(caprolactone-
co
-lactide (PLCL) and tested their 3D printing capabilities.
The physicochemical properties of the material were characterized
using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC),
and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, the mechanical
properties were assessed using the universal testing machine (UTM).
The ratio with the higher lactide content was found to have better
printability. Out of the different ratios assessed, a suitable ratio
having the desired mechanical properties and printability was identified
and 3D printed into a tracheal scaffold. Thus, PLCL can be a potential
material for 3D printing of tissues like the trachea.
Stem cell‐derived islet‐like clusters (ILCs) are an alternative source of pancreatic beta cells for the treatment of diabetic mellitus. An ideal 3D culture platform for the generation of ILCs of desired cluster size is a challenge due to the clustering of islet cells in the 2D culture systems. The islet cells cultured in 2D conditions produce clusters of large size, which are less efficient in terms of insulin secretion and viability. In this study, we report that ILCs formed on a PCL‐based wet electrospun fibrous scaffold with larger pore size produced clusters of the desired size, compared to that cultured on a conventional electrospun sheet. The collagen functionalization on this wet electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold showed enhanced insulin secretion and cell viability compared to the non‐functionalized or conventionally electrospun PCL scaffold. The collagen‐coated wet electrospun 3D scaffold produced ILCs of cluster diameter 70 ± 20 μm and the conventionally electrospun PCL sheet produced larger ILC clusters of diameter 300 ± 10 μm. Hence the results indicate the collagen‐functionalized wet electrospun scaffold system could be a potential scaffold for islet tissue engineering.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.