Silk-Based PCL-Reinforced Suturable Scaffolds for the Treatment of Meniscal Lesions

Substitution of meniscus with scaffolds is favored with given indication and contra-indications if surgical repair of the tissue is not possible [1-3]. Suturability of the scaffold defines the possibility of successful orthotopic implantation. Salt-leached aqueous-derived silk fibroin does not hold suture. In this study, we described the manufacture and characterization of regenerated silk fibroin scaffold reinforced with 3D-printed polycaprolactone mesh between the silk fibroin. It was shown that an increase the suture retention strength up to four times, and high water uptake capacity more than five times could be achieved. A subcutaneous implantation model in mice was employed to assess the in vivo biocompatibility of the scaffolds which were seeded with human meniscocytes or human Hoffa’s fat pad-derived stem cells. The architecture of the explants was observed by micro-CT. The histological study showed that good tissue infiltration and blood vessel formation were observed in the explants. The results with the reinforced scaffold are promising, and their performance in the treatment of meniscal lesions in large animal models should be evaluated in a near future.

Acknowledgments: The authors thank the project FROnTHERA (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund. This study was also supported by the FP7 Marie Curie project (MRTN-CT-2011-289897). IFC and JMO thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology for the financial support SFRH/BD/99555/2014 and IF/01285/2015.

References

1.Cengiz I.F. et al. J. of Experimental Orthopaedics, 5(1), (2018) 14.

2.Pereira, H. et al. EFORT Open Reviews 4.6 (2019): 279-295.

3. Cengiz, I.F. et al. Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine 3.1 (2017): 32-50.