Description
The aim of the present work was to study the biological behavior of a mouse mesenchymal stem cell line
when seeded and cultured under osteogenic conditions onto novel processed melt-based chitosan scaffolds.
Scaffolds were produced by compression molding, followed by salt leaching. Scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) observations and lCT analysis showed the pore sizes ranging between 250 and 500 lm and the
interconnectivity of the porous structure. The chitosan–poly(butylenes succinate) scaffolds presented high
mechanical properties, similar to the ones of trabecular bone (E1%*75 MPa). Cytotoxicity assays were
carried out using standard tests (accordingly to ISO/EN 10993 part 5 guidelines), namely, MTS test with a
24 h extraction period, revealing that L929 cells had similar metabolic activities to that obtained for the
negative control. Cell culture studies were conducted using a mouse mesenchymal stem cell line (BMC9).
Cells were seeded onto the scaffold and allowed to proliferate for 3 weeks under osteogenic conditions.
SEM observations demonstrated that cells were able to proliferate and massively colonize the scaffolds
structure. The cell viability assay MTS demonstrated that BMC9 cells were viable after 3 weeks of culture.
The cells clearly evidenced a positive differentiation toward the osteogenic lineage, as confirmed by the
high ALP activity levels. Moreover, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis revealed the presence of
Ca and P in the elaborated extracellular matrix (ECM). These combined results indicate that the novel
melt-based chitosan/polyester scaffolds support the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation
of the mouse MSCs and shows adequate physicochemical and biological properties for being used as
scaffolds in bone tissue engineering–related strategies.
; Salgado, A. J. 
