Development and characterization of manganese-doped hydroxyapatite-incorporated wet-electrospun polycaprolactone scaffolds
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Bioceramic-incorporated polymer-based scaffolds have gained more interest as a promising and effective approach in bone tissue engineering (BTE) applications. This study is the first to investigate the role of incorporated manganese-doped hydroxyapatite (Mn–HA) and gelatin coating in increased bioactivity and biological properties, specifically the cell attachment potencies of three-dimensional (3D) porous electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL). In this context, novel 3D porous composite scaffolds were synthesized by wet electrospinning of PCL incorporated with Mn–HA. The scaffolds were then coated with a thin gelatin layer to enhance the cell adhesion capacity. The effects of Mn–HA and the gelatin coating were evaluated in terms of structural, physicochemical, and biological properties. The results demonstrated that Mn–HA was successfully synthesized with doping of 2 mol% Mn, with MnSO 4 (manganese sulfate) and MnCl 2 (manganese chloride) precursors. Mn–HA powder with a MnSO 4 precursor indicated better cell viability results. Therefore, Mn–HA/PCL scaffolds with 2.5% and 5% (w/w) bioceramic content were prepared with the MnSO 4 precursor. The scaffolds’ porosity increased from 24% (PCL/gelatin group) to approximately 34% in both the 2.5% and 5% (w/w) bioceramic-containing groups. The addition of Mn–HA powder improved the in vitro bioactivity and degradation rate of the scaffolds. Specifically, the 5% and 2.5% (w/w) Mn–HA incorporated scaffolds indicated 40% and 30% weight loss after 21 d of incubation, respectively. In contrast to the PCL/gelatin and HA-containing groups, the Mn-doped HA containing scaffolds exhibited a weight loss of around 17%–20%, indicating a decrease in degradation. The presence of the Mn–HA powder and gelatin coating elevated the cell viability results significantly, as opposed to the PCL scaffolds. Incorporation of 5% (w/w) Mn–HA improved the alkaline phosphatase activity and intracellular calcium levels, contrary to other groups. Thus, the incorporation of Mn-doped HA and gelatin into the PCL scaffold supports the potency towards properties required for BTE applications and suggests it as a prospective biomaterial for further evaluations.
Source: Biomedical Materials
Institution: Middle East Technical University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,325
OpenAlex ID: W4415938127