A fibroblast/macrophage co-culture model for in vitro evaluation of material biocompatibility and biodegradability

Fibroblast and macrophage are two major cell types respond cooperatively to implanted biomaterials. They play crucial roles in material degradation, inflammatory response and tissue remodeling. However, the interactions of these two cell types with biomaterials have not been fully elucidated. In this study, an in vitro fibroblast/macrophage co-culture system was explored to investigate the biodegradability and biocompatibility of an electrospun PLGA/Dextran scaffold as a model biomaterial. Both cell types were capable of degrading the scaffold individually or cooperatively. Lysozyme and nonspecific esterase were involved in scaffold degradation. The scaffold activated macrophages but did not induce server and chronic inflammatory response.