3D printed PEGDA microstructures for gelatin scaffold integration and neuron differentiation

• 3D printing is used to produce a lattice-type backbone of PEGDA scaffold.
• Microporous structures are obtained by freeze-drying of gelatin gel filled in the scaffold.
• The PEGDA/gelatin hybrid scaffold is compatible to cell culture and tissue engineering.
• The scaffold is used for differentiation of neuron progenitor cells.

Three dimensional (3D) printing techniques can be used for scaffold fabrication but the most of them are limited by resolution and material choice. To bypass these limitations, we developed an approach by combining conventional 3D printing and freeze-drying techniques to produce lattice-type backbone and embedding microporous structures. Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA), a biocompatible and photosensitive pre-polymer, was chosen for 3D printing of the backbone, while gelatin was used for the formation of microporous structures. The fabricated PEGDA/gelatin scaffolds were used for culture and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), showing infiltration of the cells and outgrowth of differentiated neurites. This strategy of combined use of 3D printing and freeze-drying techniques might be useful for scaffold fabrication in terms of easy design and easy material processing.

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