Biofunctionalization of electrospun fiber membranes by LbL-collagen/chondroitin sulfate nanocoating followed by mineralization for bone regeneration

It is of great significance to develop osteoinductive artificial scaffold for bone repair and regeneration. We constructed a biomimetic apatite interface on electrospun polycaprolactone fibers by combining layer-by-layer (LbL) nanocoating with mineralization to fabricate an osteoinductive artificial scaffold. After polydopamine modification, cationic type-І collagen and anionic chondroitin sulfate were sequentially adsorbed on the fiber surface. The fibers coated with the multilayer components served as the precursor matrix to induce apatite deposition. By adjusting the number of the layers and duration of mineralization, the nanoscale morphology of composite fibers was optimized. When ten bilayers of the collagen and chondroitin sulfate were deposited onto the fibers followed by one day-mineralization, the obtained polycaprolactone–apatite composite scaffolds significantly promoted the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. In a subcutaneous implantation in mice, this composite fiber membrane enhanced in vivo ectopic osteogenesis. Our nano-architectural scaffolds were able to mimic the composition and structure of the bone matrix to a certain extent, holding great potential for bone repair and regeneration.