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A 3D Bioprinted Pseudo-Bone Drug Delivery Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering
Pariksha Jolene Kondiah1, Pierre P D Kondiah1, Yahya E Choonara1
1Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa.
Researchers developed a 3D bioprinted pseudo-bone scaffold that mimics natural bone's strength and porosity. This drug delivery system, optimized with artificial neural networks (ANN), shows promise for enhanced bone fracture repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Developing effective bone void fillers and drug delivery systems is crucial for bone fracture repair.
- Current methods often lack the mechanical properties and controlled release capabilities needed for optimal healing.
- Mimicking the complex structure and mechanical integrity of native bone remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a 3D bioprinted pseudo-bone scaffold with mechanical properties similar to healthy human bone.
- To optimize the scaffold design using artificial neural networks (ANN) for improved performance.
- To evaluate the scaffold's potential as a drug delivery platform for promoting bone healing.
Main Methods:
- Computer-aided design (CAD) and MATLAB software with artificial neural networks (ANN) for scaffold design and optimization.
- Fabrication of the 3D scaffold using polypropylene fumarate (PPF), polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL-PEG), and pluronic (PF127).
- Incorporation of simvastatin for enhanced bone healing properties and characterization of mechanical, morphological, and in vitro release kinetics.
Main Results:
- The ANN-optimized 3D bioprinted scaffold demonstrated controlled drug release over 20 days.
- The scaffold successfully formed a pseudo-bone matrix, mimicking healthy human clavicle bone.
- Evaluated matrix hardness (MH) reached 99% and matrix resilience (MR) reached 98% of native bone, indicating comparable mechanical strength.
Conclusions:
- The 3D bioprinted pseudo-bone scaffold exhibits excellent mechanical properties and controlled drug release capabilities.
- This scaffold serves as a promising implantable material for bone fracture repair and regeneration.
- The integration of ANN optimization offers a powerful approach for designing advanced biomaterials.
