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Melt Processing of Chitosan‐Based Fibers and Fiber‐Mesh Scaffolds for the Engineering of Connective Tissues
Author(s) -
Correlo Vitor M.,
CostaPinto Ana R.,
Sol Paula,
Covas José A.,
Bhattacharya Mrinal,
Neves Nuno M.,
Reis Rui L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.201000011
Subject(s) - interconnectivity , scaffold , chitosan , tissue engineering , fiber , porosity , materials science , biomedical engineering , connective tissue , chemistry , composite material , computer science , artificial intelligence , medicine , biochemistry , pathology
We report the production of chitosan‐based fibers and chitosan fiber‐mesh structures by melt processing (solvent‐free) to be used as tissue‐engineering scaffolds. The melt‐based approach used to produce the scaffolds does not change their main characteristics, including the surface roughness and microporosity. The porosity, pore size, interconnectivity and mechanical performance of the scaffolds are all within the range required for various tissue‐engineering applications. Biological assessments are performed in direct‐contact assays. Cells are able to colonize the scaffold, including the inner porous structure. The cells show high indices of viability in all of the scaffold types.