Biphasic scaffold for annulus fibrosus tissue regeneration

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is the major cause of lower back pain, while the currently available treatments are symptomatic rather than curative. Tissue engineering is a powerful therapeutic strategy that can restore the normal biomechanical motion of the human spine. The ability of a biphasic elastic scaffold to structurally and elastically simulate the annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue of the IVD was explored. The outer phase of the scaffold was a ring-shaped demineralized bone matrix gelatin (BMG) extracted from cortical bone, which mimicks the type I collagen structure and ligamentous properties of outer AF. The inner phase of the scaffold was a bio-biomaterial poly(polycaprolactone triol malate) (PPCLM) orientated in concentric sheets and seeded with chondrocytes to recapitulate the inner layer of the AF, which is rich in type II collagen and proteoglycan. The mechanical properties and degradation of PPCLM could be adjusted by controlling the post-polymerization time of the pre-polymer. PPCLM also demonstrated good biocompatibility in a foreign body response in vivo assay. Incorporation of BMG into the scaffold enhanced the compressive strength compared with PPCLM alone. In addition, the tensile stress of the BMG/PPCLM scaffold was 50-fold greater than that of PPCLM alone, and close to that of normal rabbit AF. Finally, the biphasic scaffold supported the growth of rabbit chondrocytes, as confirmed by Safranin-O and type II collagen immunostaining. The excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility of the BMG/PPCLM scaffold make it a promising candidate for AF repair.