Novel self-assembly-induced 3D plotting for macro/nano-porous collagen scaffolds comprised of nanofibrous collagen filaments

Abstract

This study proposes self-assembly-induced 3D plotting as an innovative solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technique for the production of macro/nano-porous collagen scaffolds, particularly comprised of nanofibrous collagen filaments. In this technique, collagen filaments deposited in a coagulation bath could be effectively gelled through the self-assembly of collagen molecules into fibrils, accordingly, enabling the 3-dimensional deposition of collagen filaments with a collagen nanofiber network. The unique macro/ nano-structure could be structurally stabilized by dehydration process coupled with chemical cross-linking. The porous collagen scaffolds produced had 3-dimensionally interconnected macropores (similar to 451 x 305 mu m in pore width) separated by nanoprous collagen filaments. In addition, the macro/nano-porous collagen scaffolds showed the tensile strength of similar to 353 kPa and compressive strength of similar to 31 kPa at a porosity of similar to 95 vol% and excellent in vitro biocompatibility, assessed using pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.