Preparation and characterization of PLA/fibroin composite and culture of HepG2 (human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) cells

Through adding insoluble fibroin microparticles into polylactic acid (PLA) solution, stirring intensively and then freeze-drying the blend, we prepared a composite scaffold composed of polylactic acid (PLA) and fibroin. Observation of the PLA/fibroin composite scaffold by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that fibroin microparticles uniformly distributed in PLA matrix and interconnected pore structures were formed in the scaffolds. The in vitro cell culture result showed that the HepG2 (human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line) cells attached and spread well on the surfaces of the composite scaffold. Compared with that on PLA scaffolds, the attachment and growth of HepG2 on the composite scaffold were greatly improved. HepG2 cells attached on the hybrid sponges and established cell–cell contacts to form aggregates with a size up to 100 μm. Considering that the PLA skeleton facilitated the desired shape formation, and fibroin microparticles improved the cell growth, the PLA/fibroin composite scaffold is a promising matrix for hepatic tissue engineering.