Osteoconductive and osteoinductive biodegradable microspheres serving as injectable micro-scaffolds for bone
Jianping Mao1, Pengfei Wei2, Zuoying Yuan2
1Department of Spine Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, P.R. China.
Journal of Biomaterials Science. Polymer Edition
|September 23, 2020
Summary
New biodegradable microspheres enhance bone repair. Functionalized with apatite and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), these injectable scaffolds promote bone regeneration with improved cell affinity and osteogenic differentiation.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Injectable biodegradable microspheres offer advantages for bone defect repair via minimally invasive surgery.
- Current scaffolds require novel designs to meet diverse bone regeneration needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop functionalized, injectable micro-scaffolds for enhanced bone regeneration.
- To investigate the osteogenic potential of surface-microporous PLLA-PEG-PLLA microspheres.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of poly(L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(L-lactide) (PLLA-PEG-PLLA) microspheres using W1/O/W2 double emulsion.
- Surface functionalization with polydopamine and apatite deposition.
- Adsorption of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) onto biomineralized microspheres.
Main Results:
- Microspheres with 10 wt.% PEG exhibited superior cell affinity compared to smooth PLLA microspheres.
- Functionalized microspheres significantly upregulated osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs).
- Subcutaneous implantation of BMP-2-loaded microspheres induced efficient ectopic osteogenesis without biocompatibility issues.
Conclusions:
- A simple strategy for preparing osteoconductive and osteoinductive microspheres was established.
- Functionalized PLLA-PEG-PLLA microspheres show significant potential as injectable scaffolds for bone regeneration.
