Design, development and characterisation of an optimised scaffold to enhance cell proliferation for tissue repair

Scaffolds are implanted to spur the regeneration of damaged tissues. The inappropriate construction of scaffolds laden with cells is not efficient. The optimisation of the scaffolds' constituents is essential for tissue repair. In this study, a scaffold embedded with Raloxifene drug was optimised via Response Surface Methodology (RSM), targeting controlled cell proliferation. The independent variables for RSM (fibronectin, collagen I, glutaraldehyde, and Raloxifene) were screened in Swiss target prediction software (probability ≥99%) to optimise dependent variables (porosity, cell viability, degradation, and swelling) by ANOVA and characterised with FTIR, SEM and contact angle measurement. The scaffold was tested for antimicrobial property, and proliferation and attachment of mouse mesenchymal stem cells. The ANOVA analysis with p value ≤ 0.0001 suggested the optimal concentration of biomaterials and drugs. The optimised scaffold displayed 80% porosity with pore size 33 ± 3 µm. We also observed significant cell attachment and proliferation (p value ≤ 0.05) in optimised scaffold. The scaffold may be further evaluated for its potential for tissue repair.