Effects of tricalcium phosphate in polycaprolactone scaffold for mesenchymal stem cell-based bone tissue engineering

Polycaprolactone (PCL) - tricalcium phosphate (TCP) is an established composite material for bone tissue engineering. However, the effects of TCP inclusion in PCL for cell attachment, viability, proliferation and differentiation have not been defined. In this study, PCL and PCL-TCP scaffolds are seeded with human fetal mesenchymal stem cells (hfMSC), cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium, and cell attachment, viability, cellular proliferation, differentiation and extracellular mineral depositions were compared. Both materials allowed for good cell attachment and viability, while the final cellularity in PCL-TCP scaffolds was 1.25-fold higher than PCL scaffolds. Mineralisation on both scaffolds was similar, after correcting for the initial calcium in the PCL-TCP scaffolds. In conclusion, the addition of 20% TCP into the macroporous PCL scaffold resulted in 1.25-fold higher cellularity, which may be advantageous for transplantation purposes.