Bio-plotted hydrogel scaffold with core and sheath strand-enhancing mechanical and biological properties for tissue regeneration

Abstract

Three-dimensional bio-plotted scaffolds constructed from encapsulated biomaterials or so-called “bio-inks” have received much attention for tissue regeneration applications, as advances in this technology have enabled more precise control over the scaffold structure. As a base material of bio-ink, sodium alginate (SA) has been used extensively because it provides suitable biocompatibility and printability in terms of creating a biomimetic environment for cell growth, even though it has limited cell-binding moiety and relatively weak mechanical properties. To improve the mechanical and biological properties of SA, herein, we introduce a strategy using hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles and a core/sheath plotting (CSP) process. By characterizing the rheological and chemical properties and printability of SA and SA/HA-blended inks, we successfully fabricated bio-scaffolds using CSP. In particular, the mechanical properties of the scaffold were enhanced with increasing concentrations of HA particles and SA hydrogel. Specifically, HA particles blended with the SA hydrogel of core strands enhanced the biological properties of the scaffold by supporting the sheath part of the strand encapsulating osteoblast-like cells. Based on these results, the proposed scaffold design shows great promise for bone-tissue regeneration and engineering applications.