Optimization of Poli(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds suitable for 3D cancer cell culture

Fused Deposition Model (FDM) as Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies may offer a viable and simpler alternative to manufacture scaffolds for different purposes such as tissue engineering and cells culture. Existing commercial FDM machines are currently being modified to improve their accuracy, capabilities and use. However, for biocompatible and/or bioimplantable materials such as Poli (epsilon-caprolactone) PCL there is still a lot of work to do to set up process parameters. Cells culture had been carried on 2D without being a proper and real midst. In fact cells do not grow only in two flat directions but in all directions making strong net. Since cells responses to proteins or drugs is important for knowing proliferation or enrichment more real culture in 3D is needed. This work focuses on the study and optimization of open-source 3D printer machine, called RepRap, employed to manufacture biocompatible scaffolds for 3D cells culture of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). It has been shown that scaffolds culture can enhance the Cancer Stem Cell (CSC) population, responsible in part for tumour recurrence after chemotherapy. Mammosphere Forming Index (MFI) was defined in all cell lines to evaluate this population in TNBC cell lines sensible and resistant to chemotherapy. Enriching TNBC cells with CSC after scaffold culture will help to study new therapeutic treatments directed to this population. Several process parameters are tested to manufacture scaffolds and cells culture had been carried out in order to validate the results. Results show that porosity plays an important role in scaffolds manufacture having low cells adhesion and growth. Lower porosity values should be tested to further evaluate MFI index after scaffold culture as cell growth and enrichment indication. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.