Endothelial cells adhesion on the surface of electrosprayed 3D printed polycaprolactone porous scaffolds

Abstract

Tissue engineering has emerged as a transformative approach for addressing complex clinical challenges in regenerative medicine, particularly for vascularized tissue repair, where scaffold design plays a pivotal role in guiding cellular behavior. This study evaluates three polycaprolactone (PCL)-based scaffolds containing a layer of a PCL homopolymer or a PEG-b-PCL copolymer, fabricated via 3D printing and electrospraying, to assess their interactions with endothelial cells as an important cell type in tissue repair. Over a 5-day culture period, in vitro analyses were conducted, including MTT assays to quantify metabolic activity, crystal violet staining to visualize cell adhesion patterns, and immunofluorescence to validate endothelial phenotype. Results demonstrated excellent biocompatibility across all scaffolds, with no observed cytotoxicity. The PCL scaffold coated with PEG-b-PCL microparticles exhibited enhanced cell-supporting properties, as evidenced by the most intense formazan staining and the highest absorbance values, indicating superior cell viability compared to both PCL homopolymer coated and uncoated PCL_3D scaffolds. These results highlight the role of surface topography and chemistry in optimizing cell-scaffold interactions, advancing their potential for vascularized tissue engineering.