This research generally focuses on tissue engineering, specifically scaffold-based bone tissue engineering. Bone complications are increasingly prevalent, presenting serious issues to patient quality of life. Nonunion bone fractures, fractures that require surgery to heal, are clinically important because of their morbidity and economic burden. Bone grafts or rod implants are the standard remedy, but they possess a multitude of issues (e.g., susceptibility to rejection, limited supplies). With bone tissue engineering offering a promising alternative, we asked how we can make tissue engineering more viable. The first step is creating a biomimetic scaffold onto which cells can be seeded. In scaffold design, crosslinked collagen improves osteogenic rates, which is why crosslinking was attempted. A 3D-Bioplotter was used to fabricate the scaffold matrix, and crosslinking was induced either through plasma treatment with excited argon gas or treatment with a chemical solution. An Instron mechanical testing device was used to analyze the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. Crosslinking efficacy was determined with a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) will also be used to analyze melting, thermal stability, and crosslinking of the scaffolds. It was found that the plasma-treated scaffolds had a lower collagen release into solution (0.397 ± 0.238 µg/µL), whereas the untreated scaffolds had a higher release of collagen (0.655 ± 0.120 µg/µL); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p<0.05). FTIR spectroscopy is currently underway, and larger sample sizes will be used in the future to better determine significance. With aspirations of practicing medicine in tandem with clinical research, this experience has given me great insight into the research process, especially for regenerative medicine. Ultimately, I hope to build upon this foundation as I continue my career in researching medically relevant solutions that impact large populations.
Authors: Jackson Conroy and Greta Schwartz
Faculty Advisor: Amy Yousefi, Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering
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