Scaffolds containing chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose/mesoporous wollastonite for bone tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Scaffold-based bone tissue engineering requires biomaterials with optimal properties for bone regeneration.
• Chitosan (CS) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) are widely used biopolymers, but their properties can be enhanced with additives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize bio-composite scaffolds using chitosan, carboxymethylcellulose, and mesoporous wollastonite (m-WS) particles.
• To evaluate the effect of m-WS on scaffold properties, including bio-mineralization, protein adsorption, swelling, degradation, and cytocompatibility.

Main Methods:

• Bio-composite scaffolds were fabricated using chitosan, carboxymethylcellulose, and varying concentrations of mesoporous wollastonite via freeze-drying.
• Scaffold characterization involved Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR).
• Biological evaluation included assessments of protein adsorption, swelling, degradation, cytocompatibility with human osteoblastic cells, calcium deposition, and microRNA expression.

Main Results:

• The addition of m-WS particles did not alter scaffold porosity.
• A 0.5% concentration of m-WS significantly improved bio-mineralization and protein adsorption.
• m-WS incorporation reduced scaffold swelling and degradation rates while maintaining cytocompatibility.
• Osteogenic potential was confirmed through calcium deposition and upregulation of pre-mir-15b.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan/carboxymethylcellulose/mesoporous wollastonite scaffolds demonstrate promising properties for bone tissue engineering.
• The optimized scaffolds support osteoblast activity and promote bone regeneration.
• These findings support the clinical application of CS/CMC/m-WS scaffolds in bone defect repair.