Manufacture of solvent-free polylactic-glycolic acid (PLGA) scaffolds for tissue engineering

Conventional methods for fabricating polymeric scaffolds often use organic solvents which might be harmful to cells or tissues. The purpose of this report was to develop a solvent‐free method for the fabrication of three‐dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering. To manufacture a scaffold, polylactide‐polyglycolide (PLGA) copolymers were premixed with sodium chloride particulates. The mixture was then compression molded and sintered to form a cylinder. After sintering, the cylinder was submerged in water for 48 h to leach out the particulates. The scaffold, with approximately 2 × 107 mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of the New Zealand rabbit, was then cultured in an osteogenic culture medium for 14 days. The alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium level, and the mineral deposition of cultured cells in the PLGA scaffolds were determined. The results showed that an increase of alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium levels, as well as abundant mineral deposition, was observed in the cultured mesenchymal stem cells. In addition, scaffolds with pore sizes of 88–125 µm showed the most number of cells during the period of culture. Developing solvent‐free biodegradable scaffolds for bone cells may provide a potential method for the treatment of infected bone defects. Copyright © 2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.