Study on Enzymatic Degradation of Polycaprolactone-Based Composite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

To address the slow degradation rate of polycaprolactone (PCL)-based scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, particularly when rapid removal is needed to mitigate unwanted immune reactions, lipase has been employed to accelerate scaffold degradation. However, it remains unclear whether the presence of other polymeric materials in PCL composites, particularly those that are hydrophilic, would affect the degradation process. In this study, discs of composite materials composed of PCL blended with selected commonly used additives (gelatin, collagen, and poly(lactic-<i>co</i>-glycolic acid)) (PLGA) at two weight ratios (3:1 and 2:1, w/w) were prepared and then studied for their degradation kinetics in response to exogenously added lipase. Time-dependent degradation of composite discs was closely monitored by mass loss and morphology change. Notably, the inclusion of gelatin, collagen, or PLGA into PCL affects PCL degradation, showing different degradation rate constants. During exposure to lipase, the composite materials exhibited distinct morphology changes, which were closely correlated with their wettability due to the hydrophilic additives. Furthermore, lipase-enabled PCL degradation of cell-laden composite scaffolds also affected prolonged cell adhesion to the scaffolds in a concentration-dependent manner. In summary, a detailed understanding of lipase-aided degradation of PCL composite materials would offer the opportunity to better design scaffolds for applications in tissue regeneration.