Gelatin-alginate-cerium oxide nanocomposite scaffold for bone regeneration

Worldwide the number of bone damage/fracture, due to traumatic and accidental injuries, has been growing exponentially. Currently available treatments for bone repairing are slow, and often full functional recovery is not achieved. During slow healing process, free radicals are generated at fractured site, which causes further delay in healing process. To overcome these problems, bone tissue engineering (BTE) based approaches, i.e., polymeric scaffolds loaded with free radical scavenging capabilities, seem to be a potential alternative. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria, NC) show very good free radical scavenging capabilities. In this study, NC was incorporated in gelatin-alginate (GA) scaffolds to obtain nanocomposite scaffolds (GA-NCs) by freeze drying. Further, the effect of varying nanoceria concentration on the physicochemical and biological properties of the nanocomposite scaffolds has been evaluated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images of the scaffolds revealed presence of interconnected pores. Furthermore, incorporation of NC has increased the mechanical properties, bio-mineralization, and decreased the swelling and in-vitro weight loss of the scaffolds. Additionally, GA-NCs depicts competent cell attachment, proliferation and viability. The results for osteogenic differentiation studies (i.e. ALP activity, RunX2 and osteocalcin expression) have indicated that GA-NCs scaffolds hold potential to assist differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to osteoblast. Finally, the results for free radical scavenging functionality demonstrate that GA-NCs are capable of reducing free radicals. Thus, it could be stated that NC incorporated GA nanocomposite scaffold has vital importance for applications in bone tissue-engineering in future regenerative therapies.