Development of a Bioactive Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)/Keratin/Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) Composite Scaffold for Periodontal Regeneration

A chronic inflammatory condition, periodontitis leads to the gradual breakdown of the structures that anchor the teeth and represents a significant clinical problem in advanced stages. Periodontal tissue engineering has been proposed as an effective regenerative approach, combining biomaterial scaffolds with bioactive agents to restore damaged tissues. This study developed and evaluated a novel carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/keratin/platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) composite scaffold for periodontal tissue regeneration. Porous CMC/keratin scaffolds with varying weight ratios were produced via freeze-drying and chemically cross-linked using glutaraldehyde (GLU). Following structural and mechanical assessment, the optimized CMC/keratin formulation (40/60) was selected and subsequently incorporated with PRF to improve biological performance. The resulting scaffolds were evaluated for chemical composition (FTIR), morphology (SEM), mechanical behavior, cytocompatibility (MTT assay), and cell adhesion using L929 fibroblast cells. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the presence of intermolecular interactions among CMC, keratin, and PRF within the composite scaffold. SEM analysis revealed a highly interconnected porous architecture in the optimized scaffold, which was preserved after PRF incorporation. PRF incorporation improved the mechanical performance of the scaffold, as evidenced by increases in tensile strength, elastic modulus, and toughness, whereas elongation at break remained almost unchanged. In vitro cytocompatibility assays demonstrated that all scaffolds were noncytotoxic, with the CMC/keratin/PRF composite exhibiting significantly higher cell viability compared with CMC/keratin scaffolds, as determined by the MTT assay. Qualitative SEM observations also suggested enhanced cell attachment and spreading on the PRF-containing composite scaffold. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the synergistic integration of CMC, keratin, and PRF produces a bioactive scaffold with suitable structural, mechanical, and biological characteristics. The CMC/keratin/PRF composite scaffold shows suitable potential for periodontal tissue engineering; however, future studies involving periodontal-specific cells and in vivo models are warranted to further validate its clinical applicability.