Poly(lactide-co-glycolide acid)/biphasic calcium phosphate composite coating on a porous scaffold to deliver simvastatin for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

In this study, simvastatin (SIM) drug incorporated poly(D, L-lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) composite material (SPB) was coated on the BCP/ZrO2 (SPB-BCP/ZrO2) scaffold to enhance the mechanical and bioactive properties of the BCP/ZrO2 scaffold for bone engineering applications. The composite coating was prepared by combining different ratios of PLGA and BCP (1:2, 1:1, 2:1). After completion of the coating process, the compressive strength of the scaffolds was shown to increase with an increase in PLGA concentration from 8.5 +/- 0.52 MPa for the SPB1-BCP/ZrO2 (1:2) to 11 +/- 0.65 MPa for SPB3-BCP/ZrO2 (2:1) scaffolds when PLGA concentration was increased. Furthermore, the increase of PLGA in the coating composition corresponds to a decrease in porosity, degradation rate and weight loss of the scaffolds after 4 weeks. SIM release study demonstrated sustained release of the drug for the three kinds of scaffolds with improved biocompatibility. The increase of PLGA concentration also resulted in a lower release rate of SIM. Thus, the lower release rate of SIM brought upon by the increase of PLGA concentration further enhanced the performance of the scaffold in vitro making it a promising approach in the field of bone tissue regeneration.