| Abstract Scope |
Esophagus cancer is a leading cause for cancer-related deaths and cancer recurrence often occurs for postoperative esophagus cancer patients. For these patients, tubular esophageal scaffolds assist esophagus tissue regeneration and restore esophageal functions. Furthermore, drug-loaded esophageal scaffolds can be developed for inhibiting cancer recurrence. In this study, a tubular, resilient, and drug-loaded composite scaffold with spirals was designed and then fabricated via extrusion 3D printing. The scaffold design was computationally optimized via finite element analysis. Composite hydrogels (PVA-PA/CDMS/NC) for printing inks were made from methacrylate and sodium phytate conjuncted poly(vinyl alcohol), γ-cyclodextrin microspheres, and nanoclay. Anti-cancer drug Paclitaxel (PTX) was encapsulated in CDMS. 3D printing parameters were investigated for obtaining high-fidelity hydrogel scaffolds. The physicochemical properties of scaffolds were studied using different techniques. The biocompatibility, biodegradation and PTX release behavior were also assessed. The PTX-loaded scaffolds should provide a good mechanical support and deliver PTX locally for combating cancer recurrence. |