Effect of demineralized bone particles (DBP) on cell growth and ECM secretion in PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering

In this study, we investigated the effect of deminerized bone particles (DBP) on the regeneration of chondrocyte in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/DBP hybrid scaffolds. PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffolds were designed by varying the DBP content with 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 w/t% and manufactured by a solvent casting/saltleaching method. We evaluated the potential of PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffolds for cartilage regeneration. Chondrocytes of New Zealand white rabbits were seeded on PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffolds. MTT assay, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) assay, Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining, Safrainin-O staining, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were performed to confirm the effect of the DBP on cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production. As the DBP content of these scaffolds became higher, the rate of cell growth and the amount of GAG increased. The PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffolds with DBP content showed better cell proliferation, stable in vitro tissue morphology, superior cartilaginous tissue formation, and sGAG production. In conclusion, PLGA/DBP hybrid scaffolds promote the potential cell delivery vehicle and act as the structural basis for cartilage tissue engineering.