Abstract
Neural tissue engineering aims to restore function of nervous system
tissues using biocompatible cell-seeded scaffolds. Graphene-based
scaffolds combined with
stem
cells deserve special attention to enhance
tissue
regeneration in a controlled manner. However, it is believed that minor
changes in scaffold biomaterial composition, internal porous structure,
and physicochemical properties can impact cellular growth and adhesion.
The current work aims to
investigate in vitro biological effects of 3D graphene oxide
(GO)/sodium alginate (GOSA) and reduced GOSA (RGOSA) scaffolds on dental
pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in terms of cell viability and cytotoxicity.
Herein, the effects of the 3D scaffolds, coating conditions, and serum
supplementation on DPSCs functions are explored extensively.
Biodegradation analysis revealed that addition of GO enhanced the
degradation rate of composite scaffolds. Compared to the 2D surface, the
cell viability of 3D scaffolds was higher (p <0.0001),
highlighting the optimal initial cell adhesion to the scaffold surface
and cell migration through pores. Moreover, the cytotoxicity study
indicated that the incorporation of graphene supported higher DPSCs
viability. It is also shown that when the mean pore size of scaffold
increases, DPSCs activity decreases. In terms of coating conditions,
poly-l-lysine (PLL) was the most robust coating reagent that improved
cell-scaffold adherence and DPSCs metabolism activity. The cytotoxicity
of GO-based scaffolds showed that DPSCs can be seeded in serum-free
media without cytotoxic effects. This is critical for human translation
as cellular transplants are typically serum-free. These findings suggest
that proposed 3D GO-based scaffolds have favourable effects on the
biological responses of DPSCs.
Keywords: Neural tissue engineering, 3D scaffolds, Graphene,
Stem cell, Biocompatibility