"Smart'' and stimulus responsive chitosan-based scaffolds/cells for bone tissue engineering: Influence of lysozyme upon scaffold degradation and osteogenic differentiation of cultured marrow stromal cells induced by cap coatings

Abstract

[Excerpt] The present study reports the use of non-porous, ‘‘smart’’ and stimulus responsive chitosan-based scaffolds with the capability of gradual in situ pore formation for bone tissue engineering applications. Biomimetic calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings were used as a strategy to incorporate lysozyme at the surface of chitosan based materials the main objective of controlling their degradation profile as a function of immersion time. In order to confirm the concept, degradation tests with concentration similar to those incorporated into CaP chitosan-based scaffolds were used to study the degradation of the scaffolds and the formation of pores as function of immersion time. Degradation studies with lysozyme (1.5 g/L) showed the formation of pores, indicating an increase of porosity (~5% - 55% up to 21 days) resulting in porous 3-D structures with interconnected pores. […]