Feasibility of Polycaprolactone Scaffolds Fabricated by Three-Dimensional Printing for Tissue Engineering of Tunica Albuginea
- Author:
Ho Song YU
1
;
Jinju PARK
;
Hyun Suk LEE
;
Su A PARK
;
Dong Weon LEE
;
Kwangsung PARK
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Fibroblasts; Penis; Printing, three-dimensional; Tissue engineering
- MeSH: Elastic Modulus; Fibroblasts; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Male; Microscopy; Penis; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Tensile Strength; Tissue Engineering
- From:The World Journal of Men's Health 2018;36(1):66-72
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility of a polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing for tissue engineering applications for tunica albuginea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PCL scaffolds were fabricated by use of a 3D printing system. Two scaffolds were fabricated that differed in the architecture of the lay-down pattern: a 90°PCL scaffold and a 45°PCL scaffold. Mechanical properties were measured to compare tensile strength between the two scaffold types. The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The scaffolds were seeded with fibroblast cells, and the ability of these scaffolds to support the cells was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: The PCL scaffolds had well-structured shapes, regular arrays, and good interconnection in SEM images. The horizontal and vertical Young's modulus coefficients were 13 and 12 MPa for the 90°PCL scaffold and 19 and 21 MPa for the 45°PCL scaffold, respectively. Microscopy images revealed that human fibroblast cells covered the entire scaffold surface. Immunofluorescence staining of ER-TR7 confirmed that the fibroblast cells remained viable and proliferated throughout the time course of the culture. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study provides experimental evidence for the feasibility of 3D printing of PCL scaffolds for tissue engineering applications of tunica albuginea.
