Breath figures in tissue engineering and drug delivery: State-of-the-art and future perspectives

The breath figure (BF) method is an easy, low-cost method to prepare films with a highly organized honeycomb-like porous surface. The particular surface topography and porous nature of these materials makes them valuable substrates for studying the complex effects of topography on cell fate, and to produce biomimetic materials with high performance in tissue engineering. Numerous researchers over the last two decades have studied the effects of the honeycomb topography on a variety of primary and immortalized cell lines, and drew important conclusions that can be translated to the construction of optimal biomaterials for cell culture. The literature also encouragingly shows the potential of honeycomb films to induce differentiation of stem cells down a specific lineage without the need for biochemical stimuli. Here, we review the main studies where BF honeycomb films are used as substrates for tissue engineering applications. Furthermore, we highlight the numerous advantages of the porous nature of the films, such as the enhanced, spatially controlled adsorption of proteins, the topographical cues influencing cellular behavior, and the enhanced permeability which is essential both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, this review highlights the elegant use of honeycomb films as drug-eluting biomaterials or as reservoirs for distinct drug delivery systems.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Combining biocompatible surfaces and 3D nano/microscale topographies, such as pores or grooves, is an effective strategy for manufacturing tissue engineering scaffolds. The breath figure (BF) method is an easy technique to prepare cell culture substrates with an organized, honeycomb-like porous surface. These surface features make these scaffolds valuable for studying how the cells interact with the biomaterials. Their unique surface topography can also resemble the natural environment of the tissues in the human body. For that reason, numerous studies, using different cell types, have shown that honeycomb films can constitute high performance substrates for cell culture. Here, we review those studies, we highlight the advantages of honeycomb films in tissue engineering and we discuss their potential as unique drug-eluting systems.

Fabrication of polymeric biomaterials: a strategy for tissue engineering and medical devices

Fabrication of biomaterials scaffolds using various methods and techniques is discussed, utilising biocompatible, biodegradable and stimuli-responsive polymers and their composites. This review covers the lithography and printing techniques, self-organisation and self-assembly methods for 3D structural scaffolds generation, and smart hydrogels, for tissue regeneration and medical devices.

Adhesion and proliferation of human periodontal ligament cells on poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate)

Human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells obtained from extracted teeth are a potential cell source for tissue engineering. We previously reported that poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) is highly biocompatible with human blood cells. In this study, we investigated the adhesion, morphology, and proliferation of PDL cells on PMEA and other types of polymers to design an appropriate scaffold for tissue engineering. PDL cells adhered and proliferated on all investigated polymer surfaces except for poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly[(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine)-co-(n-butyl methacrylate)]. The initial adhesion of the PDL cells on PMEA was comparable with that on polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In addition, the PDL cells on PMEA spread well and exhibited proliferation behavior similar to that observed on PET. In contrast, platelets hardly adhered to PMEA. PMEA is therefore expected to be an excellent scaffold for tissue engineering and for culturing tissue-derived cells in a blood-rich environment.