The osteogenic potential of adipose-derived stem cells in three-dimensional, laser-sintered porous polycaprolactone scaffolds

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a bioresorbable polymer with potential applications for bone and cartilage repair. In this work, the three-dimensional (3D) and porous PCL scaffolds were designed and fabricated via selective laser sintering (SLS). The aim of this study is to evaluate the osteogenic potential of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) in laser-sintered PCL (lsPCL) scaffolds. The characters of the lsPCL scaffold were evaluated. The pore size and the microstructure were observed by SEM. The ASCs were harvested and isolated from pig inguinal area. Then, the lsPCL scaffold was seeded with ASCs and cultured in osteogenic medium for 0 and 14 days. The cell proliferation was measured by MTS. The alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) was detected by biochemical method. SEM was used to observe the interaction between the scaffold and cell. Energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) was used to analyze the mineralization in each group. The porosity was around 83%. The pore size was around 300-400 μm. Both the MTS and ALP showed significant increases after cultivation in osteogenic medium for 14 days. SEM detailed that the ASCs cell can attach well to the lsPCL scaffold. The EDS also demonstrated the calcium deposits around pASCs after osteo-induction for 14 days. In contrast, no mineralization was found around ASCs after osteo-induction of 0 days. In conclusion, the laser-sintered PCL was a suitable scaffold for the proliferation of ASCs. The ASCs were also differentiated well into osteoblasts in the porous lsPCL scaffolds.