Development of PLGA nanocomposite films and scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

We investigated the fabrication of nanocomposite dense films and porous scaffolds made of poly(DL-Lactide-co-Glycolide) copolymer and single walled carbon nanotubes, pristine and carboxylated. The effects of material composition and processing on nanocomposite structure and on cell culture of human alveolar bone-derived osteoblasts were evaluated. Micrographs demonstrated a more homogeneous dispersion in the films of carboxylated nanotubes with respect to pristine tubes and the development of 3D porous scaffolds with pore diameter ranging from 100-200 μm with a dimension independent of the nanotube presence. Carboxylated porous scaffolds exhibited better biocompatibility, compared with nanocomposite dense films, evidencing the positive effect of porosity. Nanocomposite scaffolds, that better simulate the bone trabecular structure, showed Ca/P value similar to hydroxyapatite. Our results indicate that functionalized single walled carbon nanotube nanocomposite scaffolds hold great promise for bone tissue engineering applications.