Osteochondral defects remain a huge problem in medicine today. Biomimetic bi- or multi-phasic scaffolds
constitute a very promising alternative to osteochondral autografts and allografts. In this study, a new curdlanbased scaffold was designed for osteochondral tissue engineering applications. To achieve biomimetic properties,
it was enriched with a protein component – whey protein isolate as well as a ceramic ingredient – hydroxyapatite
granules. The scaffold was fabricated via a simple and cost-efficient method, which represents a significant
advantage. Importantly, this technique allowed generation of a scaffold with two distinct, but integrated phases.
Scanning electron microcopy and optical profilometry observations demonstrated that phases of biomaterial
possessed different structural properties. The top layer of the biomaterial (mimicking the cartilage) was smoother
than the bottom one (mimicking the subchondral bone), which is beneficial from a biological point of view
because unlike bone, cartilage is a smooth tissue. Moreover, mechanical testing showed that the top layer of the
biomaterial had mechanical properties close to those of natural cartilage. Although the mechanical properties of
the bottom layer of scaffold were lower than those of the subchondral bone, it was still higher than in many
analogous systems. Most importantly, cell culture experiments indicated that the biomaterial possessed high
cytocompatibility towards adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Both phases of the scaffold enhanced cell adhesion, proliferation, and chondrogenic
differentiation of stem cells (revealing its chondroinductive properties in vitro) as well as osteogenic differentiation of these cells (revealing its osteoinductive properties in vitro). Given all features of the novel curdlan-based
scaffold, it is worth noting that it may be considered as promising candidate for osteochondral tissue engineering
applications.