Influence of conductive PEDOT:PSS in a hard tissue scaffold: In vitro and in vivo study

Abstract

The presence of a conductive component in bone scaffolds can be helpful in facilitating the intracellular electrical signaling among cells as well as improving bone healing when electromagnetic stimulation is applied. In this study, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrene sulfonate) as a biocompatible conductive polymer was incorporated into a hard tissue scaffold made of gelatin (Gel) and bioactive glass. The in vitro results revealed that incorporation of an optimized amount of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrene sulfonate) into the scaffold composition enhanced cell viability more than four times after 14 days incubation, compared to the scaffold without poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrene sulfonate). The in vivo studies demonstrated the amount of new bone formation of Gel/bioactive glass/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(4-styrene sulfonate) scaffolds was significantly higher than the Gel/bioactive glass scaffolds.