The bone-like carbonate apatite (BLCA) coatings can be coated biomimetically in the polymer surfaces by soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF). This SBF contains similar ionic constituents to human blood plasma. Micro-porous 3D poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA scaffolds were fabricated by the solvent casting/salt leaching technique using chloroform to dissolve the polymer. We accelerated the deposition of mineral on scaffolds for 1-2 days, modifying the mineralization process using surface treatments and 5x SBF. These scaffolds were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The scaffolds coated with BLCA layer were placed in the 24 well plates containing 2 ml of media, such as Tris Buffered Saline-pH 7.4, cell culture media containing αMEM supplemented with 10% FBS, and 1% penicillin-streptomycin and incubated at 37°C for 21 days. The BLCA layer on surfaces of scaffold was stable even after 21 days immersed in Tris Buffered Saline and cell culture media. This study suggests that BLCA were stable for at least 3 weeks in the both media, and therefore, mineral has a potential to use as a carrier for biological molecules for localized release applications as well as bone tissue engineering applications.
Electrospun conductive gold covered polycaprolactone fibers as electrochemical sensors for O2 monitoring in cell culture media
