Research Day
FABRICATION OF PLLA/PDS-PEDOT NANOSCAFFOLDS USING 3D MELT ELECTROWRITING FOR BONE REGENERATION
Document Type
Abstract
Date
2021
Abstract
Nearly two million bone-grafting surgeries are performed in the US per year. Current surgical procedures still facing significant challenges in treating large and nonunion bone defects. Tissue engineering has made great strides in developing artificial constructs for bone repair using biomaterials. However, there remain substantial challenges in creating bioactive scaffolds that mimic the piezoelectric properties of bone and the architecture of the ECM, so they can significantly modulate stem cell fat and performance. We hypothesize that 3D printed PLLA/PDS-[GO/DMSO-doped] PEDOT scaffolds will exhibit superior electrical conductivity compared to PCL/PDS-[undoped] PEDOT. The goal of this study is to use electrospinning in combination with micro-extrusion 3D printing to fabricate 3D scaffolds with nanofibrous structure-like native extracellular matrix. PLLA-PDS copolymer solution was prepared in 1, 4-dioxane and mixed overnight with GO/DMSO-doped PEDOT nanopowders at 5, 10, and 20% weight ratio. Copolymer solutions were loaded into the Axo-A3 3D bioprinter and printing was conducted at room temperature in an electrical field of 10 kV. Scaffolds were observed under SEM; pore size, filament size, and surface elemental composition will be recorded. The surface resistance was measured using four-point probe. Scaffolds were successfully printed using novel melt electrowriting technology. GO, DMSO and PEDOT were found present on the surface of GO/DMSO-doped PEDOT. PLLA/PDS-[GO/DMSO-doped] PEDOT scaffolds showed superior conductivity when compared to PCL/PDS-[undoped] PEDOT scaffolds. SEM analysis revealed the formation of nanofibrous network with desired pore size and well-oriented nanofibers. This nanoscaffold will be used for treating bone fracture nonunions by means of electrical stimulation.