Poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL)/poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) nanofibers loaded by nanoparticles‐containing TGF‐β1 with linearly arranged transforming structure as a scaffold in cartilage tissue engineering

Abstract This study aimed to present a novel three‐dimensional nanocomposite scaffold using poly‐ε‐caprolactone (PCL), containing transforming growth factor‐beta 1 (TGF‐β1)‐loaded chitosan‐dextran nanoparticles and poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA), to make use of nanofibers and nanoparticles simultaneously. The electrospinning method fabricated a bead‐free semi‐aligned nanofiber composed of PLLA, PCL, and chitosan‐dextran nanoparticles containing TGF‐β1. A biomimetic scaffold was constructed with the desired mechanical properties, high hydrophilicity, and high porosity. Transmission electron microscopy findings showed a linear arrangement of nanoparticles along the core of fibers. Based on the results, burst release was not observed. The maximum release was achieved within 4 days, and sustained release was up to 21 days. The qRT‐PCR results indicated an increase in the expression of aggrecan and collagen type Ι genes compared to the tissue culture polystyrene group. The results indicated the importance of topography and the sustained release of TGF‐β1 from bifunctional scaffolds in directing the stem cell fate in cartilage tissue engineering.