Nanosheets-incorporated bio-composites containing natural and synthetic polymers/ceramics for bone tissue engineering

Bone is a highly integrative and dynamic tissue of the human body that is regularly modeled and remodeled by bone cells such as osteoblasts and osteoclasts. When a fraction of a bone is damaged or deformed, stem cells and bone cells under the influence of several signaling pathways regulate bone regeneration at the particular locale, but in a dilatory manner. To overcome this problem, the field of bone tissue engineering (BTE) utilizes various bio-composite scaffolds that incorporate cells and appropriate growth factors to promote osteogenesis. Nanosheets are in two-dimensional (2D)-atomic structures, and metallic and non-metallic nanosheets play a keen role in biomedical applications, including BTE. Due to their intrinsic mechanical properties such as durability and flexibility, nanosheets strengthen the bio-composite scaffolds containing natural polymers (chitosan, gelatin, and collagen), synthetic polymers, bio-ceramics, and bio-glasses. Incorporating nanosheets into bio-composites promotes the bio-functionality of the cells, such as cell adhesion and osteoblast differentiation. Hence, this review was aimed to provide a detailed study on the nanosheets-incorporated bio-composites and their properties for BTE applications.