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Porous PVA/SA/HA hydrogels fabricated by dual-crosslinking method for bone tissue engineering
Mengjie Xu1, Miao Qin1, Xiumei Zhang1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Research Center for Nano-Biomaterials & Regenerative Medicine, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, P.R. China.
Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition
|January 24, 2020
Summary
New porous composite hydrogels made from polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate/hydroxyapatite (PVA/SA/HA) show tunable properties for bone repair. These hydrogels support cell growth and mineralization, indicating their potential in tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Science
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Developing advanced biomaterials is crucial for effective bone repair and regeneration.
- Composite hydrogels offer promising platforms due to their tunable properties and biocompatibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize novel porous polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate/hydroxyapatite (PVA/SA/HA) composite hydrogels.
- To investigate the influence of composition on the structural, mechanical, and degradation properties of PVA/SA/HA hydrogels.
- To evaluate the cytocompatibility and osteogenic potential of the fabricated hydrogels for bone tissue engineering applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PVA/SA/HA composite hydrogels using a dual-crosslinking method.
- Characterization of hydrogel morphology, moisture content, porosity, and mechanical properties.
- Assessment of *in vitro* biodegradation, mineralization, and cell culture response (MC3T3-E1 cells) including Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity.
Main Results:
- Uniform, interpenetrating porous structures were achieved in PVA/SA/HA hydrogels.
- Mechanical properties, moisture content, and porosity were tunable by adjusting the PVA/SA/HA mass ratio, with optimal properties at 42:18:40.
- The hydrogels exhibited gradual *in vitro* biodegradation, surface mineralization with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocrystals, and supported MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation without toxicity.
- Incorporation of nano-HA crystals significantly enhanced ALP activity in cells.
Conclusions:
- Porous PVA/SA/HA composite hydrogels with tunable properties were successfully fabricated.
- The optimized hydrogel composition (42:18:40) demonstrated favorable mechanical characteristics, porosity, and degradation behavior.
- The hydrogels showed excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic potential, making them promising candidates for bone repair and tissue engineering applications.
