3D-printed scaffold of dopamine methacrylate oligomer grafted on PEGDMA incorporated with collagen hydrolysate for engineering cartilage tissue

This study demonstrated the synthesis and characterization of dopamine methacrylate (DMA), oligomers of dopamine methacrylate (ODMA), and their integration with polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) to enhance 3D-printing scaffold fabrication for tissue engineering, using digital light processing (DLP) technology. The results confirm the successful synthesis of DMA, as evidenced by NMR and FTIR analysis and its subsequent conversion to ODMA. The obtained ODMA was then combined with PEGDMA (1.25-10 %w/v of ODMA) to optimize scaffold printability. The morphological characteristics of the ODMA/PEGDMA scaffolds were assessed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, using FTIR and DSC, the chemical stability and biological compatibility of collagen hydrolysate (CH) derived from tuna tendon were studied and compared after the sterilization method. An in vitro fibroblast viability test was conducted using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay to assess the biocompatibility of the CH with cells. Sterilization methods did not adversely affect the chemical compositions of CH, maintaining its compatibility with fibroblast cells. Subsequently, the ODMA/PEGDMA/CH composite scaffolds were fabricated with digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer and their efficacy in supporting chondrocyte viability and proliferation were examined at 24, 48, and 72 hours using PrestoBlue® assay. Mixing ODMA with PEGDMA significantly enhanced the printability of the scaffolds. Our tri-component 3D-printed scaffolds significantly enhanced human cartilage stem/progenitor cells (CSPCs) viability and proliferation compared to the 24-well culture plate. These scaffolds excel not only in mechanical properties, which are crucial for bearing physiological loads but also in biological properties that promote cell growth and proliferation. This dual enhancement underscores their superior performance and positions them as frontrunners in the development of advanced solutions for cartilage engineering, potentially revolutionizing medical treatments.