Enhanced cell viability in hyaluronic acid coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) porous scaffolds within microfluidic channels

The concept of the present work is to produce porous optimised scaffolds of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coated with hyaluronic acid (HA), to provide a suitable microenvironment for cellular proliferation. Freeze dried scaffolds were produced from PLGA with varying lactic acid and glycolic acid ratios along the polymer backbone, as follows: 50:50 ester terminated, 50:50 carboxylate end-group and 85:15 ester terminated. Subsequently, these scaffolds were immersed in crosslinked HA in order for the coating to enhance biological performance. Scaffolds were fully characterized with respect to surface morphology, physical and chemical properties. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds was firstly evaluated using standard L929 fibroblast cells in static culture and subsequently MCF-7 breast cancer cells were seeded on scaffolds which were incorporated within a microfluidic device. The results show that cells were attracted to and adhered to the scaffolds, with a higher affinity for HA coated scaffolds. In our system, cell viability was maintained up to 48 h.