Elsevier

Materials Science and Engineering: C

Volume 44, 1 November 2014, Pages 310-316
Materials Science and Engineering: C

Biomimetic apatite-coated porous PVA scaffolds promote the growth of breast cancer cells

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2014.08.044Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Porous PVA scaffolds fabricated via mechanical agitation followed by freeze-drying.

  • Mineralization of the scaffold was carried out by utilizing biomimetic approach.

  • Mineralization resulted in increased protein adsorption on the scaffold.

  • Increased breast cancer cell growth was observed on mineralized scaffolds.

Abstract

Recapitulating the native environment of bone tissue is essential to develop in vitro models of breast cancer bone metastasis. The bone is a composite material consisting of organic matrix and inorganic mineral phase, primarily hydroxyapatite. In this study, we report the mineralization of porous poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) scaffolds upon incubation in modified Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) for 14 days. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the deposited minerals have composition similar to hydroxyapatite. The study demonstrated that the rate of nucleation and growth of minerals was faster on surfaces of less porous scaffolds. However, upon prolonged incubation, formation of mineral layer was observed on the surface of all the scaffolds. In addition, the study also demonstrated that 3D mineralization only occurred for scaffolds with highly interconnected porous networks. The mineralization of the scaffolds promoted the adsorption of serum proteins and consequently, the adhesion and proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Keywords

PVA scaffold
Interconnected pores
Mineralization
HBSS
Breast cancer cells

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