Dr. Selvakumar Murugesan

Former Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellow

Fabrication of electrospun scaffold-based on poly(Epsilon-caprolactone)/bioactive glass nanocomposites for bone tissue regeneration

 

Supervisor: Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Infection is a major reason for the failure of numerous scaffolds in regenerative medicine. Over the last decade, bioactive glass-based nanocomposites have been applied for developing tissue scaffolds, mimicking native tissue architecture, and imparting microbial protection. This project aims to develop an antimicrobial electrospun scaffold based on poly (Epsilon caprolactone) (PCL)/bioactive glass nanocomposites for bone tissue regeneration. Various metal ions (Ag, Mn, Zn) will be used to dope mesoporous bioactive glass (MBGs) nanoparticles, which will be synthesized using sol-gel method. Subsequently, the surface of MBGs will be modified to facilitate the polymer-filler interaction during the nanocomposite preparation. These various MBGs will be introduced into PCL solution to form nanocomposites and used for the electrospinning technique to fabricate scaffolds. These fibrous scaffolds are foreseen to enable stem cell differentiation into the osteogenic lineage impartin also antibacterial properties. As a whole, this proposed approach will allow the fabrication 3D scaffolds, which mimic the native bone tissue as well as enhance the functional bone repairing characteristics.