Pore structure and hydration rates modulate the release of bioactive agents from degradable scaffolds

A theoretical model was developed to study the degradation of highly porous scaffolds containing growth factors. The use of such bioactive agents has been proposed to induce and maintain differentiated cell function in bioartificial constructs. Simulation results showed that the total porosity of the scaffolds and the average pore size have significant effects on degradation rates, and consequently, on the release pattern of the growth factor. The release rates also depended on the erosion mechanism, with bulk erosion resulting in more uniform release rates of the growth factor