Fabrication and characterization of freeze dried strontium-doped bioactive glasses/chitosan composite scaffolds for biomedical engineering

With the emerging development of bioactive glass (BG), it has been regarded as a potential candidate for bone and tissue engineering due to its superior bioactivity and osteoconductivity. In addition, chitosan is a functional material for medical applications owing to its biocompatibility and biodegradability while playing an important role in the cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. In the present work, preparations of Sr-BG/chitosan composite scaffolds were fabricated by freeze drying technique. The microstructure and porosity of the scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The swelling and degradation behaviors were examined and corresponding mechanical properties were measured using universal testing machine. In addition, in vitro bioactivity was evaluated following Kokubo’s protocol and the cytotoxicity was carried out using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Finally, formation mechanisms of the microstructures were discussed, while the improved bioactivity and cell viability were demonstrated, indicating its potential in the field of tissue engineering.