Synergistic effect of selenium and genipin triggers viability of 3T3 cells on PVA/Gelatin scaffolds

Purpose: The aim of this study was to reveal the first time synergistic effect of GP and selenium (Se) on 3T3 cells seeded on natural and non-cytotoxic porous scaffolds with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and gelatin (GE). Methods: Electrospinning scaffolds were produced as PVA/GE/GA crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GA) and freeze/dried scaffolds crosslinked with genipin (GP) were divided into two groups as PVA/GE/GP5 and PVA/GE/GP8. The scaffolds were investigated in terms of pore morphology, swell ratio, biodegradation, and biocompatibility. The biocompatibility of the material was tested in vitro by MTT assay on 1, 2, and 3 days to test the cell viability of 3T3 cells. Results: It was observed that Se triggered the excellent cell growth and proliferation on electrospinning and freeze drying PVA/GE scaffolds. Conclusions: Selenium with PVA/GE scaffolds can be a promising candidate for wound healing application, as it significantly increases cell viability on scaffolds. It is thought that the synergistic effect of selenium with genipin may be an important step in tissue engineering applications. The preliminary study can be supported by in vivo studies in the future.