Poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL)/poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) nanofibers loaded by nanoparticles-containing TGF-β1 with linearly arranged transforming structure as a scaffold in cartilage tissue engineering.

This study aimed to present a novel three-dimensional nanocomposite scaffold using poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), containing transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)-loaded chitosan-dextran nanoparticles and poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA), to make use of nanofibers and nanoparticles simultaneously. The electrospinning method fabricated a bead-free semi-aligned nanofiber composed of PLLA, PCL, and chitosan-dextran nanoparticles containing TGF-β1. A biomimetic scaffold was constructed with the desired mechanical properties, high hydrophilicity, and high porosity. Transmission electron microscopy findings showed a linear arrangement of nanoparticles along the core of fibers. Based on the results, burst release was not observed. The maximum release was achieved within 4 days, and sustained release was up to 21 days. The qRT-PCR results indicated an increase in the expression of aggrecan and collagen type Ι genes compared to the tissue culture polystyrene group. The results indicated the importance of topography and the sustained release of TGF-β1 from bifunctional scaffolds in directing the stem cell fate in cartilage tissue engineering.